CHILDREN'S   BOOK 
COLLECTION 


LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


1 


TOKEN 

FOP. 

CHILDREN, 


BEING- 


An  exaft  Account  of  the  Converfion,  ho-- 
iy   and   exemplary   Lives    and  joyful 
Deaths,  of  federal  YOUNG  CHILD- 
.    REN. 


BY    JAMES    JANE  WAY, 

MINISTER  OF   THE  GOSPEL. 


TO    WHICH   IS  ADDED, 

A  TOKEN  FOR  THE 
CHILDREN  O'F  NEWENGLAND* 

O    R, 

Some  Examples  of  Children,  in  whom  the 
fear  of  GOD  was  remarkably  budding  be- 
fore they  died  ;  in  feveral  parts  of  New- 
england.  , 

Prejcrvcd  and  publiflied  for  the.  encouragement 
of  PI&TY  in  Qthzr  Children. 


T£Dat   WORCESTER,  MASSACHUSETTS;, 
FOR        I.     THOMAS, 
BY     JAMES  R.  HUTCH  I  MS, 

-'-795- 


TO  nil  PARENTS,  SCHOOLMASTERS  and  SCHOOL- 
MISTRESSES, or  any  who  have  any  hand  in  the 
Education  of  youth. 

DEAR  FRIENDS, 

I    Have  often  thought  that  Chri/l  fpcaks    to 
you,as  Pharaoh's  daughter   did  to  Aiofes's 
mother,  Take  this  child  and  nierfc  it  for  ine.  0, 
firs,  confidcr,  what  a  precious  jewel  n    a 
ted  to  your  charge,    what   an   advanta&>' 
have  to  jhtw  your  love  to   Chrijt,   to  jlocr 
generation  with  noble  plants,  and  what   a  j:>y~ 
ful  account  you  may  make  if  you  be  faithful   : 
Remember  fouls,  Chrijl   and  grace   cannot   be 
overvalued.     1  confefsyou  have  Joint  dif advan- 
tages, but  let  that  only  excite  your  diligence   / 
thefalvation  of  fouls,  the  commendation  of  your 
mafter,  the  greatnefs  of  your  reward  and  ever- 
lafling  glory,  wilt  pay  for  all.     Remember   the 
devil  is  at  work  hard,  wicked  ones  are  indujlri- 
ous,  and  corrupt   nature  is   a   rugged  knotty 
piece  to  hew.     But  be    not    difcouraged,    /  am 
dlitojl  a;  much  afraid     of  your    lazirefs    and 
nnfaithf'>lnefs  as  any  thing.     Do    bur  fall    to 
I u /lily,  and   who   kncici   but    that  rough 
may  prove  a  Pillar  in  the  Temple  rf  Gou  ? 
In  th:  name  of  the  living   GOD,  as  you   will 
anfwer  it  fliortly  at 'his  Ba^,   I  command  you 
t-~'  !>*   faithful  in  inftruciing  and   catechijing 
your  "oung ones.      If  you  think  I   am   too  pe- 
-  >ry;  /  pray  read  t/it  toirtffiand  from  my 


JL 

•:najler  hiui/dj,  Dent.  6.  7.  Is  not  the  duty 
\.i-ar  ?  and  dart  you  neglect  fo  dire  ft  a  com- 
wand?'  are.  the  fouls  of  your  children  of  no 
•value  ?  ere  you  zciliing  that  they  Jfiould  be 
brands  of  hill  ?  are.  you  indifferent  whether 
-they  be,  damned  or  faved  ?  Shall  the  devil,  run 
way  'with  them  without  control  ?  Will  not  yon 
toie  your  utmoft  endeavors  to  deliver  thfmj-rom 
the  wrath  to  come  ? — You  Jet  that  they  are  not 
Jubjefls  incapable  oj-  the  grace  of  God.  Jrhat- 
ever yen  th:rJ.  of  them,  Chrijt  doth  net  f tight 
them  :  They  are  not  too  little  to  die.  ;  th*y  are. 
•n.ot  too  little  to  go  to  hell ;  thty  &re  not  too  lit- 
tle to  fertfe  their  great  majler  s  too  little  to  go 
to  heaven  ;  for  of  fuch  is  the  kingdom  of 
God  :  And  mill  not  'a  pojfcbiLity  'cf  their  con- 
t'crjlun  andfalvztior^putyou  zipon  the.  greatcft 
diligence  to  ttach  t'n-m  ?  Or  are  Cknft  and 
heaven^  and Jalvation,  jmalt  things  r^itJi  you  ? 
Jf  they  be,  then  indeed  I  have  do:ie  frith  you — • 
but  if  thy  be  not,  1  befzech  you  lay  about  you 
zvith  all  your  might  :  The  devil  knows  your 
time  is  going  apace,  it  will  faortly  be  too  late. 
O  the-iej-ore  what  you  do,  do  quickly,  and  do  it, 
JJay,  with  all  your  might :  0  pray,  pray, pray, 
and  live  holily  before  them,  and  take  fome  time, 
daily  to J peak  a  little  to  your  children  one  by 
cmf^  about  their  niiferablc  condition  by  nature. 
J  ^netv  a  child  that  was  converted  by  this  Jen- 
tenet  from  a  godly  Jchool  mijlrejs  in  the  coun- 
try, Every  mother's  child  of  you  are  by 
#2ture  children  of  wrath.  Put  your  chit* 


,.. 

^re/i  H^aw    learning  t,':.  '~M+  *nd  the 

fcrip/itres,  and  getting  to  pray  wyjgztjieep  ty 
themjelves  after  C/triJi  :  TaWjHE?f  thdr 
company  .:  take  h&d.  of  ^ardgmng  a  lie  :  Take 
heed  of  letting,  them  mifpend  th$  Sabbath.  Put 
thtm,  I  befeah  you,  upon  imitating  ih-fefweet 
children  y  let  th-rn  re^d  ijiis  hook-  over  2  hurt" 
dred  times ,  and  objcrve  how  they  are  affcEled^ 
end  ajk  thtm  what  'they  think  of  ihujc  chil  rcn^ 
and  whether  they  would  not  be  f^-ck  ?  And  fol- 
low what  you  do  ui'.h  carjiefl  cries  to  God,  and 
be  in  travail  to  fee  Chrift  formed  in  their  f nils. 
I  have  prayed  }:or you*  1  have  oft  prayed  for 
yotir  children,  and  I  love -them  dearly  j  and  I 
have  j.  •  ;li?Jc  papers  ;  that  God  would 

firike,  in  wii/i  them,  and  make  them  effeElu^l  to 
tht  good  of  their  Joicls.  '  Encourage  your  chil- 
dren to  read  this  book,  and  lead  them  to  im- 
f  rove  ir.  Wiiai  is p;ef»nted,  is  faithfully  tak- 
en from  experienced  jolid  chriflians,  fome  of 
th<"m  no  way  related  to  the  children,  uiio  thzm- 
jdvcs  were  eyt  and.  ear  witnejj'es  of  God's  "works 
u/  wonder •,  or  from  viy  own' knowledge,  or  from 
reverend  godly  Minijlers,  and  from  perfons 
that  arc.  of  unjpotied  reputation  for  hdincf.\, 
integrity  arid  wijdom  ;  andfeveralpajfa^. 

'  verbatim  in  writing  from  their  dying 
lips.  1  may  add.  many  other  excellent  exam- 
ples, if  I  have  encouragement  in  this  piece. — • 
That  the  young  generation  may  be  far  more  ex* 
cellent  than  this,  is  the  pray  tr  of  one  that  dear* 
(y  leva  Hub  children.  J,  jANi£WAV4' 
A  a 


EXAMPLE    i. 


/"<5NE  tr,\in?ntly  converted  leiiL-een  fig-'' 
nine  Years  old,  witk  an  Amount  of  her  LIFE 
and  PEATH. 

R  S  Sarah  Howlcy  — 
I*  when  fhe  was  be- 
tween eight  and  nine 
years  old,  was  car- 
ried by  her  friends  to 
hear  a  fermon,  where 
the  m  Snifter  preached  upon  Mat. 
31  —  My  yoke  rs  eafy  and  my 
.^burden  is  light  :  In'  the  applying 
^f  which  fcripture,  this  child  was 
highly  awakened,  and  made  deep- 
ly fenfible  of  the  condition  of  her 
fbul,  and  her  need  of  a  CHRIST  : 
flie  wept  bitterly  to  think  what  a 
cafe  fhe  was  in  ;  and  went  home, 
and  got  by  herfelf  into  a  chamber  ; 
and  upon  her  knees  Hie  wept  and 


cried  to  the  Lord,  as  well  as  {he 
could,  which  might  eafily  be  per- 
ceived by  her  eyes  and  counte- 
nance. 

2.  She  was  not  contented  with 
this,  but  fiie  got  her  little  brother 
and  fitter  into  a  chamber  with  her, 
and  told  them  of  their  condition 
by  nature,  and  wept  over  them, 
and  prayed  with  them  arid  for 
them. 

;  3.  After  this  (he  heard  another 
fermori  from  Prov.  29.  i."  He  that 
being  often  reproved,  hardeneth 
his  heart,  fhajl  fuddenly  be  def- 
troyed,and  that  without  remedy.5' 
At  which  (lie  was  more  affedted 
than  before,  &  was  fo  exceeding 
felicitous  about  her  foul,  that  {he 
fpent  a  great  part  of  the  night  in 
weeping  and  praying,  and  could 
icarcetake  any  reft  day  and  night 
forfome  time  together  •>  defiring 
yVith  all  her  foul  to  efcape  from 
-  i'erlafting  flame,  and  to  get  an 

intereft 


intereft  in  the  Lord  Jefus  ;  O 
what  fhould  flic  do  for  aChrift! 
What  fhould  (lie  do  to  be  faved  ! 

4.  She  gave  herfelf  much  to  at- 
tending upon  the  word  preached, 
and  dill  continued  very  tender  un- 
der it,  greatly  favouring  what  (he 
heard. 

5.  She  was  very  much  in  fccrct 
prayer,  as  might  be  eafily  perceiv- 
ed by  thofe  who  liftened  at.  the 

Tiber  door,  and  -ufually  very 
importunate  and  full  of  tears. 

6.  She  could  fcarcefpcak  of  fi;^ 
or  be  fpoken  to,  but  her  heart  was 
ready  to.  melt, 

7 .  She  fpent  much  time  in  read- 
ing the  fcripture.jand  a  book  call- 
ed, "  the  bed  friend  in  the  word 
of  times;" by  which  the  work  of 
God'  was'  much   prompted   upon 
her  foul,  and  was  much  directed 
by  it  how  to  get  acquainted  with 
God,  efpecially  towards  the 

of  that    book.      Another   b^i 

life 


fhe  was  much  delighted  with  was 
Mr.  Swinnock's  Chriilian  Man's 
Calling, and  by  this  (he  was  taught 
in  this  meafure  to  make  reli'gion 
her  bufinefs.  The  Spiritual  Bee 
was  a  great  companion  of  hers. 

8,  She  was  exceeding  dutiful  to 
her  parents,  very  loth  to  grieve 
them  in  the  leaft  ;  and  if  Ihe  had 
at  any  time  (which  was  very  rare) 
offended  them,  ihe  would  weep 
bitterly. 

She  abhorred  lying,  and  allow- 
ed herfelf  in  no  known  fin. 

She  was  very  confcientious  in 
fpending  of  time,  and  hated  idle- 
nefs,  and  fpent  her  whole  time 
either  in  praying,  reading,  or  in- 
ftru&ing  at  her  needle,  at  which 
Ihe  was  v^ry  ingenious. 

When  fhe  was  at  f'chool,  fhe 
was  eminent  for  her  diligence, 
teachablenefs,meeknefsand  mod- 
efty,  fpeaking  little  ;  but  when 
ftie  did  fpeak,  it  was  ufually  fpir- 
itual.  a^f 


IO 

12.  She    continued     in    this 
courfe  of  religious  duties  for  fome 
years  together. 

13.  When  fhe  was  about  four- 
teen years  old,    fhe  broke  a  vein 
in.  her  lungs  (as  is  fuppofed)  and 
oft  did  fpit  blood,  yet  did  a  little 
recover  again,    but    had  feveral 
dangerous  relapfes. 

14.  At  the  beginning  of  Janu- 
ary laft,  fhe  was  taken  very  bad 
again,  in  which  ficknefs,fhe  was 
in  great  diftrefs   of  fout.     When 
fhe  was.ftrft  taken,   fte   faid,  Q 
mother,  pray,  pray,  pray  for  me, 
for  Satan  is  io  bufy  that  I  cannot 
pray  for  rnyfelf ;  I  fee  I  am  un- 
done  without    a  Chrill,   and    a 
pardqri   !   O  I  am  undone  to  all 
eternity. 

15.'  Her  mother  knowing 
how  ferious  fhe  had  been  former- 
ly, did  a  little  wonder  that  ihe 
ihouW  be  in  fuch  agonies  :  Upon 
which  her  mother  afked  her* 


It 

what  Sin  it  was,  that  was  fo  bur- 
denfome  to  her  Spirit :  O  mother, 
laid  ihe,  it  is  not  any  particular 
Sin  of  omiffion  or  commiflion, 
that  flicks  fo  clofe  to  my  eon- 
fcience,  as  the  Sin  of  my  nature; 
without  the  blood  of  Chrift,  that 
will  damn  me. 

16.  Her  mother  afkcd    her, 
who  fhe  mould  pray  for;  for  her, 
ilie  anfwered,  that  I  may  have  a 
faving    knowledge    of  fin    and 
Chrift,  and  that  I   may   have  an 
affurance  of  God's  love  to   my 
foul.     Her    mother    afked   her, 
why  fhe  did  fpeak  fo  little  to  the 
minifter  that  came  to  her   ?   Ihe 
anfwered,  that  it  was  her  duty 
with  patience  and  filence  to  learn 
of  them  :  And  it  was  excelling 
painful  to  her,  to  fpeak  to  any. 

17.  One  time   when  fhe   fell 
into  a  fit,  fhe  cried   out,   O  I  am 
going  :  But  what  mall  I  do  to  be 
laved  ?  fvveet  Lord  Jefus,   I  will 

lie 


lie  at  thy  feet  ;  and  if  I  perifh,  it 
fhallbe  at  the  fountain  of  thy 
mercy. 

1 8.  She  was  much  afraid  of 
prefumption,  and  dreaded  a  mif- 
take  in  the  matters  of  her  foul, 
and  would  be  often  putting   up 
ejaculations    to  God,  to  deliver 
her  from  deceiving  herfelf.     To 
inftanceinone  :  Great  and  mighty 
God,  give  me  faith  and  true  faith  : 
Lord,  that  I  may  not  be  a  foolifh 
virgin,   having  a  lamp  and  no 
oil. 

19.  She  would  many  times  be 
laying  hold  upon  the  promifes, 
and  plead  them  in  prayer.     That 
in  Mat.    11.  28,  29,  was   much 
on  her  tongue,  and  no  fmall  relief 
to  h^r  fpirit.     How  many  times 
would  Ihc  cry  out,  Lord  haft  thou 
not  faid,  Come  unto  me  all   ye 
that  are  weary  and   heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  reft  ? 

20 


30.  Another  time  her  Father  bid 
her  be  of  good  cheer,  bccaufc  ilic 
w#s  going  to  a  better  father  :  A" 
which  fhe  fell  into  a  great  paffion, 
and  fa  id,  But  how  do  I  know 
that?  I  am  a  poor  firmer  that 
•wants  atTurance.  O,  for  aiTurancel 
If  continued  to  be  her  note.  This 
was  her  great ,  carneft  and  conftant 
fequeft,  to  all  that  came  to  ker,  to 
beg  affurance  for  her:  And  poor 
heart,  fhe  would  look  with  fo 
much  eagernefs  upon  them,  as  if 
flie  defired  nothing  in  the  world 
fo  much,  as  that  they  would  pity 
her,  and  help  her  with  their  pray- 
ers ;  never  was  poor  creature  more 
carneft  for  any  thing,  than  die 
was  for  aiTu ranee,  and  the  light 
of  God's  countenance  :  O  the  pit- 
eous moans  that  the  would  make  ! 
O  the  agonies  that  her  foul  was 
in  ! 

2i.  Her   mother  afked  her,   If 
God  would  fpare  her  life,  how  me 
B  would 


would  live?  truly  mother,  fhrd. 
ilie,  We  have  fuch  bafe  hearts 
that  I  cannot  tell.  We  are  apt  to 
promife  great  things  when  we  are 
lick,  but  when  we  are  recovered, 
we  are  ready  to  forget  ourfelves, 
and  to  return  again  unto  folly : 
but  I  hope  I  lhall  be  more  careful 
of  my  time  and  my  foul  than  I 
have  been. 

22.  She  was  full  of  natural  af- 
feclion  to  her  parents,  and  very 
careful  left  her  mother,  fhould 
be  tired  out  with  much  watching; 
Her  mother  faid,  How  lhall  I 
bear  parting  with  thee,  when  I 
have  fcarce  dried  my  eyes  for 
thy  brother  ?  (he  anfwere'd,  The 
God  of  love,  fupport  and  com- 
fort you  :  It  is  but  a  little  while 
•  and  we  (hall  meet,  I  hope,  in  glo- 
ry. She  being  very  weak,  could 
fpeak  but  little,  therefore  her  mo- 
ther frJd,  Child,  if  theu  haft  any 
comlort  lift  up  thine  hand  ;  which 
fte  did.  2O 


J_L 

23.  The  Lord's  day  before  that 
on  which  (he  died,   a  kinfman 
of  her's  came  to  fee  her,  and  afk- 
ing  of  her,    whether  flic   knew 
him?  fhe   replied,  Yea,  I  know 
you  j  and  I  defire  you  would  learn 
*o  know  Chrift,  you  are  young, 
but  you  know  not  how  foon  you 
may  die  :  and  O,  to  die  without  a 
Chrift,  it  is  a  fearful  thing:  O 
redeem  time  !.O  time,  time,  time 
precious  it  me"  !  Beingreqtiefted, 
by  him  not  to  fpend  her  felf,  me 
faid  flie  would  do  all  the  good  fhe 
could  while  fhe  lived,  and  when 
ilie  was  dead  too,  as  poffible  :  up- 
on which  account,  ihe  defired  a 
fermon  might  be  preached  at  her 
funeral  concerning  the  prcciouf- 
nefs  of  time.     O  that  young  < 
\vpuld  now  remember  their  Cre- 
ator I 

24.  Some  rniniilers  that  came 
to  her,  did  with  earneflnefs  beg 

-that  the  Lord  would  pieafc  to  giv^ 

hei 


i6 

K  r  Ibme  token  for  good,  that  (he 
might  go  oft*  triumphing  j  and 
bills  of  the  fame  nature  were  lent 
to  feveral  churches. 

25.  After  ihe  had  long  waited 
for  an  anfwer  of  their  prayers,  ihe 
iaid,  -well,  1  will  venture  my  foul 
upon  Ghriil. 

26.  She  carried  it  with  won- 
derful patience,    and  yet  would 
often  pray  that  the  Lord  would 
give  her  more  patience  ;  which  ihe 
anfwered    to    aftonifhment ;    for 
conlidering  the  pain  and  agonies 
ihe  was  in,  her  p-atience  was  next 
to  a    wonder;  Lord,   Lord,  give 
ine  patience,  iaid  ihe,  that  1  may 
iiot  dilhonor  thee. 

27.  UponThurfday,  after  long 
•waiting,   great    fears,  and  .-many 
prayers,    when    all    her     friends 
thought  flic  had  been  part '  (peak- 
ing, to  the  adoniilin'ieat  oi    her 
friends,  ihe  broke  torth  thus  with 
n  very  audible  voice,  and  ci*earful 

countenance 


1? 

countenance  ;  Lord,  thou  hail 
promifed,  that  whofoever  cometh 
unto  thce,  thou  wilt  in  no  wife 
caft  out ;  Lord,  1  come  untothee  ; 
and  furely  thou  wilt  in  no  wife 
caft  me  out.  O  fo  fvveet  !  O  fo 
glorious  is  Jefus  1  O  I  have  the 
fvveet  and  glorious  Jefus ;  he  is 
i  weet,  he  is  fvveet,  he  is  fweet !  O 
the  admirable  love  of  God  in  fend- 
ing Chrift  !  O  free,  grace  to  a 
poor  loft  creature!  and  thus  Ihe 
run  on  repeating  many  of  thefe 
things  a  hundred  times  over  ; 
bat  her  friends  were  fo  ailoniihcd 
to  fee  her  in  this  divine  rapture, 
and  to  hear  fuch  gracious  words 
.and  her  prayers  and  deiires  fatis- 
fied,  that  they  could  not  write  a 
quarter  of  what  fhe  fpoke. 

28.  When  her  ioul  was  thus 
ravifhed  with  the  love  of  Chrift, 
and  her  tongue  ip  highly  engaged 
in  the  magnifying  of  God  ;  her 
father,  brethren,  &  filters,  with 
B  2  oth 


•1-8 

others  of  the  family,  were  called, 
to  whom  ilie  ipakr  particularly, 
as  herftrength  would  allow.  She 
gave  her  bible  as  a  legacy  to  one 
of  her  brothers,  and  ddired  him 
to  ufe  that  well  for  her  fake,  and 
added  to  him,  and  the  reft,  O 
make  ufe  of  time  to  get  a  Chrift 
for  your  fouls  ;  fpend  no  time  in 
running  up  and  down  in  playing: 
O  get  a  Chrift  for  your  fouls  while 
you  are  young.  Remember  now 
your  Creator  beforeyou  come  to 
a  lick  bed  :  Put  not  off  this  great 
work  till  then,  for  theft  you  will 
find  it  a  hard  work  indeed.  I 
know  by  experience,  the  devil 
will  tell  you  it  is  time  enough  ; 
and  ye  are  young,  what  need  you 
jo  be  in  fuch  ha  Re  ?  you  will  have 
time  enough  when,  you  aic  old. 
But  there  Hands  one  (meaning  her 
grandmother)  that  itays  behind, 
and  I  that  am  but  youn^,  am  go- 
ing before  her.  O  therefore  make 

your 


your  calling  and  election  lure, 
while  you  are  in  health.  But  I  am 
afraid  this  will  be  but  one  night's 
trouble  to  your  thoughts ;  but  re- 
member, thcfe  are  the  words  of 
your  dying  lifter.  O,  if  you  knew 
now  good  Chrift  were !  O  if  you 
had  but  onetafteofhis  fweetneis, 
you  would  rather  go  to  him  a 
thoufand  times  than  ftay  in  this 
\vkked  world.  I  would  not  for 
ten  thoufand,  and  ten  thoufand 
worlds  part  with  my  intereft  in 
Chrift.  O  how  happy  am  I,  that 
lam  going  toeveriafting  joys  !  I 
would  not  go  back  again  for  twen- 
ty thoufand  worlds ;  and  will  you 
not  ft  rive  to  get  an  intereft  in 
Chrift." 

29,  After  this,  looking  upon 
one  of  her  father's  fervants,  (he 
faid,  what  fhali  I  do  ?  what  ihali 
I  do  at  the  great  day,  when  Chrift 
lliall  iky  to  me,  come  thou  blefl- 
ed  of  my  father,  inherit  the  king- 
dom 


dom  prepared  forthee:  And  (hall 
fay  to  the  wicked,  Go  thou  curfed 
into  the  lake  that  burns  forever  : 
What  a  grief  for  me  to  think, 
that  I  fhall  fee  any  of  my  friends 
that  I  knew  upon  earth,  turned 
into  that  lake  that  burns  forever! 
O  that  word,  forever,  remem- 
ber that,  forever  !  I  fpcak  thefe 
v/ords  to  you, but  they  are  noth- 
ing, except  God  fpeak  to  you 
-too  :  O  pray,  pray,  pray,  that 
God  would  give  you  grace  !  and 
then  fhe  prayed,  O  Lord,  fin- 
ifh  thy  work  upon  their  fouls. 
It  will  be  my  comfort  (faid  fhe) 
to  ice  you  in  glory,  but  it  will  be 
youreverjafting  happinefs. 

30.  Her  grandmother  told  her 
fhe  fpent  herfclf  too  much  ;  ilie 
laid,  I  care  not  for  that,  if  I 
could  do  any  foul  good.  O 
with  what  vehcmcncy  did  (he 
fpeak,  as  if  her  heart  were  in  ev- 
-cVy  word  fhe  (poke. 


2i 

31.  She  was  lull  of  divine  fen- 
tenses  ;  almoft  all  her  difcourfe, 
from  the  firft  to  the  laft,  in  the 
time  of  herficknefs,  was  about  her 
foul,  Chrift's  fweetneis,  and  the 
iouls  of  others  ;  in  a  word,  like  a 
continued  fermon. 

32.  Upon  Friday,  after  (lie  had 
fuch  lively  difcoveries  of  God's 
love,  fhe  was  exceeding  defirous 
to  die,  and  cried  out,  come  Lord 
Jefus,  come  quickly,  conduct  me 
to  thy  tabernacle;  I  am  a  poor 
creature  without  thee  j  but  Lord 
Jefus,  my  foul   longs  to  go  with 
thec  :  O  when  fhall  it  be  !  why 
not  now  dear  Jefus?  come  quickly^ 
but  why  do  I  (peak  thus  ?  thy 
time,  dear  Lord,  is  the  beft ;  O 
give  me  patience  ! 

33.  Upon  Saturday  (lie  fpokc 
very  little  (being  very  drowfy)  yet 
now  and  then  dropt  thefe  words 5 
How   long   fxveet  Jefus  ?  fmifli 
thy  work  fvveet  Jefus  :  come  away 

dear 


22 

'dear  fwect  Lord  Jefus,  corne 
quickly  :  Iweet  Lord  help,  £ome 
away,  now,  now,  dear  Jefus, 
come  quickly  :  good  Lord,  : 
patience  to  me  to  wait  thy-  ap- 
pointed time  :  Lord  Jefus  help 
me,  help  me;  thus  at  fcveral 
times  (when  out  of  her  ileep)  for 
file  was  afleep  the  greateft  part  0f 
the  clay. 

34.  Upon  the  Lord's  day,  flic 
fcarce  fpoke  any  thing  :  hut  much 
defired  that  bills  of  thankfgiVing 
might  he  lent  to  thofe  who  had 
formerly  been  praying  for  her, 
that  they  might  help  her  to  praiie 
God  for  that  full  afTiirance  that 
lie  had  given  her  of  his  love ;  and 
leemed  lobe  much  fwallowed  up 
with  the  thoughts  of  God's  free 
love  to  her  foul.  She  oft  com- 
mended her  fpirit  into  the  Lord's 
hands  ;  and  the  Lift  words  (he  was 
heard  to  fpeak,  were  thefe,  Lord 
help  ,  Lord  jefus  help  ;  dear  Lord 

Jef 


23 

Jefus ;  .bleffed  Jefus.  At  .{en  of  the. 
clock  in  the  forenoon,  fhe  ilept 
fwjeetlyjn  Jefus,  and  began  an 
everlafting  Sabbath,  February  19, 

1670. 

^jKfc*ta#^^ 

E     X    A    M    P    L    E     II. 

0/"#  Child  that  ivas  admirably  af- 
\fe8ed  with  the  Things  of  GOD, 
when  he  was   between   two  and 
three  years  old,  with  a  brief    ac- 
count of  his  Life  and  Death. 

1,  A  CERTAIN  little  child, 
JL  JL  whole  mother  had  ded- 
icated him  to  the  Lord  in  her 
womb,  when -he  could  not  fpeak 
plain,  would  be  crying  after  God, 
and  was  greatly  delirous  to  be 
taught  good  things. 

2.  4"Ie  could  not  endure  to  be 
put  to  bed  without  family  uuty, 
and  would  with  much  devotion, 
kneel  down,  and  with   great  pa- 
tience 


24 

tience  and  delight,  continue  till 
duty  vvns  at  an  end,  without  the 
leaft  expreffion  of  bejng  weary  £ 
and  he  feemed  never  fo  well  pleat- 
ed as  when  he  was  engaged  in  du- 
ty. 

3.  He  could  not  be  fatisfied' 
with  family  duty,  but  he  would 
be  often  upon  his  knees   by  him- 
lei  fin  one  comer  or  other. 

4.  He  was  much  delighted  in 
hearing  the  word  of  God,  either 
reader  preached. 

5.  He  loved  to  go  to  fchool, 
that  he  might  learn  fomething  of' 
God,  and  would  oh  ferve  and  take 
great  notice  of  what  he  had  read, 
and  come  home  and  fpeak  of  it 
with  much    affection :    and    he 
would  rejoice  in  bis  book, and  fay 
to  his  mother,  O-  mother!  I  have 
had  a  f weet  IciTon  to  day,  will  you 
pleafe  to  give  me  leave  to  fetch 
my  book  that  you  may  hear  it  2 


35 

6.  As  he   grew  up,  he  was 
more  and  more  affe&ed  with  the 
things  of  another  world  ;  fo  that 
if  we  had  not  received  our  in- 
formation from  one  that  is  of  un- 
doubted fidelity,  it  would  feem 
incredible. 

7.  He  quick  learned  to  read  the 
fcripture,  and    with  great    reve- 
rence, tendernefs  and  groans,  read 
till  tears  and  fobs  were  ready  to 
hinder  him. 

8.  When  he  was  at  prayer,  he 
would  weep  bitterly. 

9.  He  was  won  it  oftentimes  to 
complain  of  the  naughtinefs  of 
his  heart,  and  feemed  to  be  more 
grieved  for  the  corruption  of  his 
nature,  than  for  a<ftual  fin. 

10.  He  had  a  vaft  underftand- 
ing  in  the  things  of  God,   even 
next  to  a  wonder,  for  one  of  his 
cige. 

1 1.  He  was  much  troubled  for 
*he  wandering  of  his  thoughts  in 

C  duty, 


*/> 

duty,  and  that  he  could  not  keep 
his  heart  always  fixed  upon  God* 
and  the  work  he  was  about,  and 
his  affections  conftantly  railed. 

12*  He  kept  a  watch  over  his 
heart,  and  obferved  the  workings 
of  his  foul,  and  would  complain 
that  they  were  fo  vain  and  foolifh, 
and  fo  little  bulled  about  fpiritual 
things. 

13.  As  he  grew  up,  he  grew 
daily  in  knowledge  and   experi- 
ence;; and  his  carriage  wasfo  ex- 
cellent and  experimental,  that  it 
made  thofe   which   faw  it,  ever 
aftonifhed. 

14.  He  was  exceeding  impor- 
tunate with   God  at  duty  ;  and 
would  plead  with  God  at  a  fhrange 
rate,  and  ufe  fuch   arguments  in 
prayer,  that  one   would    think  it 
impoffible  fhould  enter  into  the 
he.trt  of  a  child  and     he    would 
beg  and  expoftulate,  and  weep  fo, 
that   fometimes  it  could   not   be 

kept 


kept  from  the  ears  of  the  neigh- 
bours ;  fo  that  one  of  the  next 
houie  was  forced  to  cry  out,  the 
prayers  and  tears  of  that  child  in 
the  next  houfe  will  fink  me  to  hell 
becaufe  by  it  he  did  condemn  his 
neglecl:  of  prayer,  and  his,  flight 
performance  of  it. 

15.  He  was  very  fearful    of 
wicked  company,  and  would  of- 
ten beg  of  God  to  keep  him  from 
it,   and  that  he  might  never  be 
pleafed  in  them  that  took  delight 
in  difpleafing  of  God :  and  when 
he  was  at  any  time  in  the  hearing 
of  their  wicked  words,   taking 
the  Lord's  name  in  vain  qr  fwear- 
ing,  or  any  filthy  words,  it  would 
even  make  him  tremble, and  ready 
to  go  home  and  weep. 

1 6.  He  abhorred  lying  with 
his  foul. 

17.  When  he  had   committed 
any  fin,  he  was,  eafily  convinced 
pf  it,  and  would  get  in  fome  cor- 
ner 


g-8 

ner  and  fecret  place,  and  witii 
tears  beg  pardon  of  God,  and 
ftrengthagainft  fuch  a  fin,  Hehad 
a  friend  that  oft  watched  him, 
and  liftened  at  the  chamber  door, 
from  whom  I  received  this  narra- 
tive. 

18.  When  he  had  been  afkedr 
whether  he  would  commit  fuch 
a  fin  again,  he  would  never  pro- 
mife  abfolutely,   becaufe  be  laid 
his  heart  was  naughty ;   but   he 
would    weep    and    fay  he  hop- 
ed by  the  grace  of  God  he  fhould 
not. 

19.  When  he  was  left  at  home 
alone  upon  the  fabbath  days,  he 
would  be  fure  not   to  fpend  any 
part   of  the  day  in  idlenefs  and 
jjay,  but  be  butied  in  praying, 
reading  in  the  bible,  and  getting 
of  his  catechifm. 

20.  When  other  children  were 
playing,  he  would   many  a  time 

oft  he  a  praying, 


21.  One  day  a  certain  per  for* 
was  difcourfing  with  him,  about 
the  nature,  offices  and  excellency 
of  Chrift,  and  that  he  alone  can 
fatisfy  for  pur  fins,    and    merit 
everlafting  life  for  us  ;  and  about 
other  of  the  great  myfteries  of  re- 
demption ;  he  feemed  favingly  to 
linderftand  them,  and  greatly; de- 
lighted with  the  difcourie. 

22.  One  fpeaking  concerning 
the  refurreclion  of  the   body,  he 
did    acknowledge    it ;    but   that 
the  fame  weak  body  that  was  bu- 
ried in  the  church  yard  fhould  be 
railed    again,   "he   thought    very 
ftrange,    but    with     admiration 
yielded,  that  nothing  wasimpof- 
fibje  with  God  ;  and  that  very  day 
he  was  taken iick  unto  death. 

23.  A  iriend  of  his  afked  him, 
vyhether   he  was    willing  to  die, 
when  he  was  firft  taken  Tick ;  he 
answered  no  ;  becaiife  he  was  a- 
fraid  of  his   rtate   as  to  anothej 

C  2  '  world 


3Q 

world  :  why,  child  fitid  the  other, 
thou  didft  pray  for  a  new  heart, 
for  a  humble,  and  fin  cere  heart, 
and  I  have  heard  thee  ;  didft  thou 
not  pray  with  thine  heart  ?  I  hope 
I  did,  fkid  he. 

24.  Not  long  after,  the  Tame 
perlon  aiked  him  again,  whether 
he -were  willing-  to  die  ?  he  an- 
fvvered,  now  I  am  willing,  for  I 
fliallgoto-Chrift. 

^5.  Oneaiked  him  what  would 
become  of  his  fifter,  if  he  fhould 
die  and  leave  her  ?  he  anhvered, 
the  will  of  the  Lord  muft  be 
done. 

26.  He  dill  grew  weaker  and 
weaker,  but  carried  it  with  a 
great  deal  of  fweernefs  and  pa- 
tience, waiting  for  his  change, 
and  at  laft  did  cheerfully  commit 
his  fpirit  unto  the  Lord;  and  call- 
ling  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
and  faying,  Lord  Jefus,  Lord  Je- 
lus,  in  whole  bofom  he  f weedy 

flept; 


flept,  dying  as  I  remember,  when 
he  was  about  five  or  fix  years 
old, 


EXAMPLE       III. 

'  little  girl  that  -was  wrought 
:>pon,  when  /be  was  be'tweenfbur 
and  jive  years  aid,  with  fime<  ac- 
count of  her  holy  life,  and'tri* 
it  mp  bant  death. 

MARY  A.  whcnflie  was  be- 
tween four  and  five  years  old, 
was  greatly  affe<5ted  in  hearing- 
the  word  of  God,  and  became 
very  folicitous  about'  her  foul, 
and  everlafting  condition,  weep- 
ing bitterly  to  think  what  would 
become  of  her  in  another  world, 
aiking  ftrange  queftions  concern- 
ing God  and  Chrifi,  and  her  own 
foul,  fo  that  this  little  Mary,  be* 
fore  fhe  was  full  five  years  olt|~ 
fcemed 


ned  to  mind  the  cne  thing 
ueedful,  and  to  chuie  the  better 
part/ and  fat  at  the  feet  of  Chrift 
many  a  time,  and  oft  with  tears. 

2.  She  was  wont  to  be  much 
in   fecret  duty,  and   many  times 
came  ^  off  from  her  knees   with 
tears. 

3.  She  would  chufe  fuch  times 
and    places    for    fecret    duty,   as 
might  render  her  lefs  obferved  by 
others,  and   did  endeavour  what 
poffible  fhe  could  to  conceal  what 
ihq  was   doing  when  engaged  in 
fecret  duty. 

4.  She   was   greatly  afraid   of 
Jiypocrify,  and  of  doing  any  thing 
to  be  feen   of  men,  and    to  get 
cbmmendation  and  praife  ;   and 
\vhen  fhe  had  heard   one  of  her 
brothers  faying,  that  he  had  been 
by  himfelfat  prayer,  fhe  rebuked 
liim  fharply,  and  told  him,  how 
little   fuch   prayers  were  like  to 
profit  him,   and  that  "if  was  but 

little 


JL 

little  to  his  praife,  to  pray  like  a 
hypocrite,  and  to  be  glad  that  any 
ftiould  know  what  he  had  been 
doing. 

5.  Her  mother  being   full  of 
:forrow  after  the  death  of  her  huf- 
-band,  this  child  came  to  her  mo- 
ther,  and  aflted   her,    why  fhe 
\vept  fo exceedingly  ?  her  mother 
anfwered,  ihe  had   caufe  enough 
to  weep,  becaufe  her  father   was 
dead  :  no,  dear  mother,   faid    the 
child,  you  have  no  caufe  to  weep 
fo  much  ;  for  God  is  a  good  God 
ilill  to  you. 

6.  "She  was  a  dear  lover  of 
faithful  minifters.     One  time  af- 
ter fhe 'had  teen  hearing  of  Mr. 
Whitciker,  flue  ^faid,  I  love  that 
mandearly,  for  the  fweet  words 
that      he      fpeaks       concerning 
Ghrift. 

7.  Her  book  was   her  delight, 
and  what  me  did  read,  fhe  loved 
to  make  her  own,  and  cared   not 

for 


34 

for.paffing  over  what  fhe  learned, 
•without  extraordinary  obfervation 
and  undemanding  ;  and  m  \ny 
times  (he  was  fo  ftrangely  affect- 
ed in.  reading  of  the  fcriptures, 
that  fhe  would  burit  out  with 
tears,  and  hardly  be  pacified.— 
•ib  greatly  was  fhe  taken  with 
Chrift's  Bufferings,  the  zeal  of 
God's  fervants,  aad  the  danger  of 
a  natural  ftate. 

8.  She  would  complain  often- 
times of  the  corruption  of  her 
pature,  of  the  hardnefs  of  her 
heart,  that  (he  could  .repent  no 
more  thoroughly  and  be  no  more 
humble  and  grieved  for  her  fins 
againfl  a  good  God  ;  and  when 
Ihe  did  thus  complain,  it  was 
w  th  abundance  of  tears. 

•9.  She  was  greatly  concerned 
for  the  fouls  of  others,  and  griev. 
ed  to  think  of  the  miferable  con- 
dition that  they  were  in  upon  this 
ficcount  !  When  fhe  could  hand- 
fomely, 


fcfmely,  (he  would  be  putting  in 
fome  pretty  fvvect  word  ofChrift  ; 
but  above  all,  fhe  would  d6  what 
fhe  could  to  draw  the  heart  of 
her  brethren  and  filters  after 
Chrift  :  and  there  was  no  frriall 
hopes,  that  herexample  and  good 
counfel  did  prevail  with  fome 
of  them  when  they  were  very 
young,  to  get  into  corners  topi 
and  to  afk  very  gracious  queitioAS 
about  the  things  of  God. 

10.  She  was  very  confcieritrtfiis- 
in  keeping  the  Sabbath,  fpending 
the  whole  time  either  in  reading 
or  praying,  or  1'earning  her  cate- 
cnifrn,  or  in  teaching  her  brethren 
and  fitters.  One  time  when  fhe 
w^s  left  at  h  owe  up  on  the  Lord's 
day,  me  got  fome  other  little 
children  together,  with  her  broth- 
ers arid  fitters,  and  inttead  of  play- 
ing (as  other  naughty  children 
ufe  to  do)  (he  told  them,  that  was 
the.  Lord's  day,  and  that  they 

ought 


_ 

ought  to  remember  that  day  to 
keep  it  holy  :  And  then  (he  told 
them,  how  it  was  to  be  fnent  in 
religious  exercife  all  the  day  long,, 
except  fo  much  as  was  to  be  tak- 
en up  in  the  works  of  neceffity 
and  mercy  ;  then  fhe  prayed 
with  them  herfelf,  and  among 
other  things  begged,  that  the 
Lord  would  give  grace,  and 
wifdom  to  them  little  children, 
that  they  might  know  how  to 
ierve  him  ;  as  one  of  the  little 
ones  in  the  company  with-  her, 
told  afterwards. 

1 1 .  She  was  a  child  of  a  flrange 
tendernefs  and  compaffion  to  all, 
full  of  bowels  and  pity  :  Whom 
Ihe  could  not  help,  fhe  would 
weep  over  ;  efpecially  if  fhe  faw 
her  mother  at  any  time  troubled, 
fhe  would  quickly  make  her 
forrowslier  own,  and  weep  for 
her  and  with  her, 


37 

12.  When  her  mother  had  been 
fo  me  what    felicitous    about   any 
worldly  thing,  ffie  would    try  to 
put  her  off  from  her  care  one  way  or 
other.  One  time  fhe  told  her,  O 
mother,  grace  is  better  than  that, 
(meaning  fomething  her  mother 
wanted,)' I  had  rather  have  grace 
and  the  love   of  Chrift,    than  any* 
thing  in  the  world. 

13.  This  child  was  often  mufing 
&bufiedin  the  thoughts  of  her  ev-« 
erlaftirig  work ;  witnefs  thatftrange 
quefiion,  O  what  are  they  doing, 
who  are  already  in  heaven  ?and  flic 
feemed  robe  greatly  defirous  to  be 
among  *em  who  were  praifing,  lov- 
ing, delighting  in  Gocf  ,and  ferving 
of  him  without  fin.  Her  language 
was  fo  ftrange  about  fpiritual  mau 
ters,  that  Ihe  made  many  excellent 
chriftians  to  ftand  amazed,  as  judg- 
ing it  fcaree  to  be  paralleled. 

14.  She  took  great  delight  in 
reading  of  the  fcripture,  and  (bme 
paft  of  it  was  more  iweetto    her 
D  than? 


than  her  appointed  food  :  She 
would  get  feveral  choice  fcriptures 
by  heart,  and  difcourfe  of  them 
favourly,  and  apply  them  fuifably. 

15.  She  was   not  altogether  a 
ftranger  to  other  good  books,  but 
\vould  be  reading   of  them   with 
much  affection  :  and  where   me 
might,  fhe  noted  the  books  par- 
ticularly,  obferving  what  in  the 
reading  did  moft  warm  her  heart, 
and  (he  was  ready  upon  occaiion 
to  improve  it. 

1 6.  One  time  a    woman  com- 
ing   into  the  houfe  in  a  greatpaf- 
fion,  fpokcofher  condition, as  if 
none  were  like  hers,  and  it  would 
never    be   othervvife   ;   the   child 
faid,  it  were  a  ftrange  thing  to  fay 
\vhen  it    is  night,  it  will  never 
be  day  again. 

17.  At  another  time  a  near  re- 
lation  of   her's,    being    in  fome 
ftraits,  made    fome  complaint; 
to   whom  me  faid,   I  have  heard 
Mr.  Carter  fay,  a  man  may  go  to 


39 

heaven  without  a  penny  in  his 
purfe,  but  not  without  grace  in 
his  heart. 

18.  She  had  an  extraordinary 
love  to  the  people  of   God,  and 
when  ihe  favv  any   that   fhe  tho't 
feared  the  Lord,  her -heart  would 
even  leap  for  joy. 

19.  She  loved  to  be  much  by 
hcrlelf,   and     would   be   greatly 
grieved  if  fhe    were   at  any  time 
deprived  of  a  conv<anier>cy  for  fe- 
cret  duty  ;  fhe  could  not  live  with" 
out  conftant  addreiTes  to  God  in 
fecret ;  and  was  not  a  little  pleafed 
when  fhe  could  go  into  a  corner 
to  pray  and  weep. 

20.  She  was  much  in  praifing 
God,   and  feldom  or   never  com- 
plained of  any  thing  but  fin. 

21 .  She  continued  in  this  courfe 
o f  p  ra  y  i  n  g  a  n  d  p  ra  i  fin  g  o  f  God, 
and  great  dUtifulnefs  and  fweet- 
neis  to  her  parents,  and  thofe  that 
Mtiglit  her  any  thing,  yet  fhe  did 

greatly 


40 

greatly  encourage  her  mother 
•while  fhe  was  a  widow  and  de- 
fired  the  abfence  of  a  hufband, 
might  in  fome  meafure  be  made 
up  by  the  dutifulnefsand  holinefs 
of  a  child.  She  ftuciied  all  the 
•ways  (he  could  to  make  her  moth- 
er's life  fweet. 

22.'. When  fhe  was  between  ele- 
ven arid  twelve  years  old,  fhe  lick- 
ned  ;  in  which  fhe  carried  it  with 
admirable  patience  and  fweetnefs, 
and  did  what  fhe  could  \yith  fcrip- 
ture  arguments,  to  fupport  and  en- 
courage her  relations  to  part  with 
her,  who  was  going  to  glory,  and 
to  prepare  themfelves  to  meet  her 
in  a  bleffed  eternity.  ' 

23.  She  was  not  many  days  fick 
before  fhe  was  marked  ;  which 
fhe  firft  faw  herfelf,  and  was 
greatly  rejoiced  to  think  that  fhe 
xvas  marked  out  for  the  Lord,  and 
was  now  going  apace  to  Chrifh 
She  called  to  her  friends,  and  laid, 


I  am  marked,  but  be  not  troubled, 
for  I  know  I  am  marked  for  one 
of  the  Lord's  own.  One  alked 
her,  how  ihe  knew  that  ?  ihe  an- 
fvvered,  the  Lord  hath  told  me, 
that  I  am  pne  of  his  dear  child- 
ren. And  thus  ihe  fpake  with  a 
holy  confidence  in  the  Lord's  love 
to  her  {oul,  and  was  not  in  the 
leaft  daunted  when  ihe  fpake  of 
her  death  ;  but  feemed  greatly 
delighted  in  the  appreheniion  of 
her  nearnefs  to  her  father's  houfe  : 
And  it  was  not  long  before  ihe 
was  filled  with  joy  unfpeakable 
in  believing. 

24.  When  ihe  j  uft  lay  a  dying, 
her  mother  came  to  her,  and  told 
her,  ihe  was  forry  that  ihe  h^.d 
reproved  and  corrected  fo  good  a 
child  fo  oft.  O  mother,  laid  ihe, 
f peak  not  thus,  I  blefs  God,  now 
I  am  dying,  for  your  reproofs  and 
corrections  too  ;  for  it  may  be,  i 
might  have  gone  to  hell,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  your  reproofs  ani 
corrections,  Da  25. 


25.  Some  of  her  neighbours 
coming  to  vifit  her,  afked  her,   IF 
llie  would  leave   them   ?  (he  an- 
iwered   them,  If    you  ferve   ths 
Lord,  you  fhall  come  after  me  to 
glory. 

26.  A  little  before  fhe  died,  fhe 
had  a  great  conflidl    with  Satan, 
and  cried  out,  I  am  none  of  his. 
Her  mother  feeing  her  in  trouble, 
afked  her  what  was  the  matter   ? 
fheanfwered,    Satan  did   trouble 
me,  but  now  I  thank    God  all  is 
•well,  I  know  I  am    not   his,   but 
Chrift's. 

27.  After  this,  {he  had  a  great 
fenfeofGod^  love,  and  a  glori- 
ous fight,  as  if  fhe   had   feen   the 
very   heavens    opened,    and   the 
angels  come  to  receive   her  ;  by 
\vhich    her  heart  was  filled  with 
joy,  and  her  tongue  with  praife. 

28.  Being  defired  by  the  ftand- 
crs  by,   to  give  them  a  particular 
account  of  what  fhe  faw  :  fhe  an- 

fwered 


43 

iwered  ,  you  fliall  know  hereafter  s 
and  fo  in  an  ecftafy  of  joy  and 
holy  triumph,  fhe  went  to  heaven 
\vhen  (he  was  about  twelve  Years 
old.  HALLELUIAH. 


EXAMPLE      IV. 

Oj  d  child  that  began  to  look  to* 
<watds  heaven  <tvhenjhe  was  a~ 
bout  four  years  old,  with  fome  ob- 
J'ervable  pajjages  in  her  fife,  and 
at  her  death. 

i.  A  CERTAIN  little  child, 
jCXwhen  Ihe  was  about  four 
years  old,  had  a  confcientious 
fenfe  of  her  duty  towards  her  pa- 
rents, becaufe  the  commandment 
faith,  honour  thy  father  and  thy 
mother.  And  though  fhe  had 
little  advantage  of  education,  fhe 
carried  it  with  the  greateit  rever- 
ence to  her  parents  imaginable, 

fo 


44 

ib  that  fhe  was  no  fmall  credit,  as 
well  as  comfort  to  them. 

2.  It  was  no  unufual  thing 
for  her  to  weep,  if  fhe  faw  her 
parents  troubled,  though  herfelf 
bad  not  been  the  occaiion  of  it. 

3.  When  (he  came  from  fchool, 
flie  would  with  grief  and  abhor- 
rence  fay,  that  other  children  had 
linned  againft  God     by   fpeaking 
grievous    words,   which    were  fo 
bad,    that    fhe    durft   not   fpeak 
them  again. 

4.  She  would  be  oftentimes  ad- 
miring    of  God's  mercy,    for  fo 
much  goodnefs  to  her  rather  than 
to  others ;  that  fhe  faw  fome  beg- 
ging,  others  blind,  fome  crooked, 
and  that  (he  wanted  nothing  that 
was  good  for  her. 

5.  She  was   many  a  time,  and 
often,  in  one  hole  or  another,   in 
tears  upon  her  knees. 

6.  This  poor  little  thing  would 
be  ready  to  ca.imfel  other  litrj? 

children. 


45 

children,  how  they  ought  to  ferve 
God  ;  and  putting  them  upon 
getting  by  themfelvs  to  pray ;  and 
.hath  been  known  when  her  friends 
have  been  abroad,  to  have  been 
teaching  children  to  pray,  efpe- 
cially  upon  the  Lord's  day. 

7.  She  very   ferioufly   begged 
the  prayers  of  others,  that  they 
would  remember   her,    thaf   the 
Lord  would  give  her  grace, 

8.  When  this  child  faw  fome 
that    were    laughing,    who    fhe 
judged  to  be  very  wicked;   flic 
told   them,  fhe  feared  they  had 
little  reafon  to  be  merry.    They 
afked,    whether    one   might  not 
laugh  ?  fhe  anfwered  ;  no  indeed, 
till  you  have  grace  !  they  who  are 
wicked,  have  more  need  to  cry 
than  to  laugh. 

9.  She  would  fay,  that  it  was 
the  duty  of  parents,  matters  and 
miftreffes,  to  reprove  (thofe  under 
their  charge)  for  fin,  orelfe  God 

will  meet  with  them.          10, 


10.  She  would  be  very  attentive 
when  ihe  read  the  fcriptures,  and 
be  much  affefted  with  them. 

1 1 .  She  would  by  no  means  be 
perfuaded  to  profane  the  Lord's 
day,  but  would  ipend  it  in  ibrae 
good  duties. 

12.  When  fhe  went  to  fchool, 
it    was   willingly   and  joyfully  ; 
arid  flic  was  very  teachable  and 
exemplary  to  other  children. 

13.  When  me  was  taken  fick, 
one  aiked  whether  (he  were  wil- 
ling to  die  ?  fhe  anfvvered,  yes,  if 
God  would  pardon  her  fins.    Be- 
ing aiked,  how  her  fins  mould  be 
pardoned  ?  fhe  anfvvered,  through 
the  blood  of  ChrifL 

14.  She  faid,  fhe  did  believe  in 
Chrift,  and  defired  and  longed  to 
be  with  him  ;  and  did  with  a  great 
deal  of  cheerfulncf     give   up   her 
foul.  EXAMPLE 


4? 


EXAMPLE    V. 

Of  the  pious  life  and  joyful  death 
of  a  child  who  died  when  he  was 
about  twelve  years  old,  1632;. 

i.  /^Harles   Bridgman  had    no 
\^>  fooner  learnt  to  fpeak,biit 
he  betook  himfelf  to  prayer. 

2.  He  was  very  prone  to  learn 
the  things  of  God. 

3.  He  -would    be   fometimes 
teaching   them   their  duty,    that 
waited  upon  him. 

4.  He  learned  by  heart  many 
good  things,  before  he  was  well 
fit  to  go  to  fchool  :  and  when  he 
was  fent  to  iehool,  he  carried  itfo, 
that  all  who  obferved  him,  cither 
did  or   might  admire  him.  O  the 
fweet  nature,  the  good  difpofition 
the   finccre    religion,  which   was 
in  this  child  ! 

5.  When   he    was   at    fchool, 
what    was  it   that   he   de  fired   to 
learn,    but   Chrift,  and   him  cru- 
cified ?  6. 


6.  So    religious    and  favoiiry 
were  his  words,  hisadlions  fo  up- 
right, his  devotion  fo  hearty,  his 
fear  of  God  fo  great,   that  many 
were   ready  to  fay  as  they  did  of 
John;  what  manner  of  Child  fhall 
this  be? 

7.  He  would  be  much  in  read* 
ing  the  holy  fcriptures. 

8.  He   was   defirous   of  more 
fpiritual  knowledge,   and  would 
be  often  afking  very  ferious  and 
admirably  queftions. 

9.  He  would  not  ftir  out  of 
doors  before  he  had   poured  cut 
his  foul   to  the  Lord. 

10.  When  he  ate  any  thing,  he 
would  be  fure  to  lift  up  his  heart 
unto  the  Lord  for  a  bleiling  upon 
it  ;  and  when  he  had  moderately 
refrelhed     himfelf  by  eating,   he 
wdul.d  not  forget  to  acknowledge 
God's  goodnefs  in  feeding  of  hifn, 

11.  He  would  not  lie  down  in 
bis  bed,  till  he  had  been  upon 

his 


49 

his  knees  :  and  when  fometimes 
hr  had  forgotten  his  duty,  he 
]  .  ould  quickly  rife  out  of  his 
bed,  and  kneeling  down  upon 
us  bare  knees,  covered  with  no 
garment  but  his  linnen,  afk  God 
forgivenefs  for  that  fin. 

1  2.  He  would  rebuke  his  breth- 
ren if  they  were  at  any  time  too 
hafty  at  their  meals,  and  did  eat 
without  afking  a  bleffing  :  his 
check  was  ufually  thus  ;  dare  you 
do  thus  ?  God  be  merciful  to  us, 
this  bit  of  bread  might  choke  us, 

13.  His  fentences  were  wife  and 
weighty,  and  well  might  become 
fome  ancient  cbriilian. 

14.  His   ficknefs  was  a  linger- 
ing difeafe,  againft  which  to  com- 
fort him,  one  tells  him  of  poflel- 
fions  that  mud:  fall  to  his  portion  : 
and  what  are  they,  laid  he,  I  had 
rather  have  the  kingdom  of  heav- 
en, than  a  thoufand  fuch  inheri- 
tances. 


E 


5° 

15.  When  he  was  fick,  he 
feemed  much  taken  up  with  heav- 
en, and  aflced  very  ferious  quef- 
tions  about  the  nature  of  his  foul. 
,16.  After  he  was  pretty  well 
fatisfied  about  that,  he  inquired 
how  his  foul  might  be  faved  ?  the 
anfwer  being  made,  by  the  ap- 
plying bfChrift's  merits  by  faith ; 
he  was  pleafed  with  the  anfwer, 
and  was  ready  to  give  any  one 
that  fhould  defire  it,  an  account  of 
his  hope. 

17.  Being  afked,  whether  he 
had  rather  live  or  die  ?  he  anfwer- 
ed,  I  defire  to  die,  that  I  may  go 
to  my  faviour. 

1 8.  His  pains  encreafing  upon 
him,  one  aiked  him,  whether  he 
would   rather    ftill   endure   thofe 
pains,   or  forfake.  Chrift  ?   alas, 
laid  he,  I  kncuf  not  what  to  fay, 
being  but  a  child  ;  for  thefe  pains 
may  ffogger  a  ftrong  man  ;  but  I 
will  ftrive  to  endure  the  beft  that 

I 


5* 

lean.  Upon  this  he  called  to  mind 
that  martyr  Thomas  Bilney  ;  who 
being  in  prifon,  the  night  before 
his  burning,  put  his  finger  into 
the  candle,  to  know  how  he  could 
endure  the  fire.  O  (faid  the  child) 
had  I  lived  then,  I  would  have 
run  through  the  fire  to  have  gone 
to  Chrift. 

19.  His  ficknefs  laded  long, 
and  at  leaft  three  days  before  his: 
death,  he  prophefied  his  depart- 
ure, and  not  only  that  he  mufl: 
die,  but  the  very  day.  On  the 
Lord's  day,  faid  he,  look  to  me  ; 
neither  was  this  a  word  of  cotirfe 
\vhich  you  may  guefs  by  his  often 
repetition,  every  day  afking  till 
the  day  come;  what,  is  Sun- 
day come  ?  at  lad,  the  looked  for 
day  came  indeed,  and  no  fooner 
had  the  fun  beautified  that  morn- 
ing with  its  light,  but  he  falls 
into  a  trance  ;  his  eyes  were  fixed, 
his  face  cheerful,  his  lips  imiU 

ing, 


ing,  his  hands  and  feet  clafped  in  a 
bow,  as  if  he  would  have  receiv- 
ed fome  blefled  angel  that  were  at 
hand  to  receive  his  foul.     But  he^. 
comes  to  himfelf  and  tells  them* 
how   he   faw   the   fweeteft  body 
that   ever  eyes   beheld,  who  bid 
him  be  of  good  cheer,    for  he 
muft  prefently  go  with  him. 

20.  One  that  flood  near  him, 
as  now  fufpe&ing  the  time  of  his 
diffolution    nigh,    bid    him   fay, 
Lord,  into  thy  hands  I  commend 
rny  fpirit,  which  is  thy  due;  for 
why,    thou   haft  redeemed  it,  O 
Lord,  my  God  mo  ft  true. 

21.  The  laft  words  which  he 
fpake,  were  exactly  thefe  :  pray, 
pray,  pray,   nay,  yet,  pray;  and 
the  more  prayers,    the  better  all 
profpcr  ;  God  is  the  beft   phyfi- 
cian  ;  into  his  hands  I  commend 
my  fpirit,  O  Lord  Jefus  receive 
my  foul  :    now  clofe  mine  eyes : 
forgive  me,  father,  mother,  broth- 
er, 


53 

er,  fifter,  and  all  the  world.  Now  I 
amwellr  my  pain  is  almoft  gone, 
my  joy  is  at  hand.  Lord  have 
mercy  on  me.  O  Lord  receive  my 
foul  unto  thee.  And  thus  he  yield- 
ed his  fpirit  up  unto  the  Lord 
when  he  was  about  twelve  years 
old. 

This  narrative  wras  taken  out  of 
Mr.  Ambrofe's  Life's  Leafe. 


Ex    AMPLE       VL 

Of  a  poor  child  that  was  awakened 

when  be  was  about  five  years  old. 

« 

i.     A     Certain  very   poor  child 

jf\.that  had  a  very     bad    fa- 

ther,, but  it  was  to  be  hoped  a  very 

good   mother,  was  by  the  provi- 

dence of  God,  brought  to  the  fight 

of  \\  godly  friend  of  mine,  who 

upon  the  firft  fight  of  the  child, 

Lad  a  great  pity  for  him,  and  took 

E  2  an 


Ji- 

an  affe<5tion  to  him,   and  had  a 
mind  to  bring  him  up  forChrift. 

2.  At  the  firft,    he  did   with 
great  fweetnefs  and   ki;,vinefs  al- 
lure the  child  ;  by  which  means  it 
was  not  long  before  he  got  a  deep 
intereft  in  the  heart  of  the  Child, 
and  he  began  to  obey  him  with 
more  readinefs  than  children  ufu- 
}y  do  their  parents. 

3.  By  this  a  door  was  opened 
for  a  farther  work,    and  he  had 
greater  advantage   to  inft.il  fpiritu- 
al  principles  into    the  foul  of  the 
cHild,  which  he  was  not  wanting 
in,  as  the  Lord  gave  opportunity, 
and  the  child  was  capable  of. 

4.  It  was  not  long  before  the 
Lord  was  pleafed  toftrikein  with 
the  fpiritual  exhortations  of  this 
good  man,  fo  that  the  child  was 
brought  to  a  liking  of  the  things 
of  God. 

5.  He  quickly  learnt   a  great 
part  of  the  affembly's  catechilru 

by 


5$ 

by  heart,  and  that  before  he  couk! 
read  his  primer  within  book  ;  and 
he  took  a  great  delight  in  learn- 
ing his  catechifm, 

6.  He  was  not  only  able  to  give 
a  very  good  account  of  his  cate- 
chifm,  but  he  would  anfwer  fuch 
queftions,  as  are  not  in  the  cate- 
chifm, with  greater  underftanding 
than  could  be  expected  of  one  of 
his  age. 

7.  He  took  great  delight  in  dif- 
courling  about  the  things  of  God; 
and   when  my  friend  had  been  ei- 
ther praying  or  reading,  expound- 
ing or  repeating  of  fermons,   he 
feemed  very  attentive,  and    rea- 
dy to    receive  the  truths  of  God, 
and  would  with  incredible  gravi- 
ty, diligence  and   affe&ion,  wait 
till  duties  were  ended,   to    the  no 
irnall  joy  and  admiration  of  them 
which  obferved  him. 

8.  He  would  afkvery  excellent 
queftions,  and  difcourfe  about  the 

condition 


condition  of  his  foul  and  heavenly 
things,  and  feemed  mightily  con- 
cerned what  fhould  become  of  his* 
foul  when  he  ihould  die  :  fo  that 
his  difcourfe  made  fome  chrift- 
jans  even  to  ftand  aftonifhed. 

9.  He  was  greatly  taken    with 
tthe  great  kindnefs  of  Chriftin  dy- 
ing for  finners,  and  would  be  in 
tears  at  the  mention  of  them  :  and 
feemed   at   a  ftrange   rate   to    be 
affected  with  the  unfpeakable  love 
pfChrift. 

10.  When  no  body  had  been 
i peaking  to  him,  he  would  burfh 
out  into  tears,  and  being  afkeci  the 
reafon,  he  would  fay,  that  the  ve- 
ry  thoughts   of  ChriiVs  love  to 
finners  in  fuffering  for  them,  made 
him  that  he    could  not   but  cry. 

11.  Before  he  was  fix  years  old, 
he  made  confcience  of  fecret  duty; 
and  when  he  prayed,  it  was  with 
fuch  extraordinary  meltings,  that 

his 


57 

his  eyes  have  looked  red  and  fore, 
with  weeping  by  himfelf  for  his 
fin. 

12.  He  would    be  putting  of 
chriftians  upon  fpiritual  difcourfe 
when  he  faw  them,  and   feemed 
little  fatisfied    unlefs  they  were 
talking  of  good  things. 

13.  It  is  evident,  that  this  poor 
child's  thoughts  were  very  much 
bulled  about  the  things  of  another 
world,  for    he  would  oftentimes 
be  fpeak'ng  to  his  bed-fellow  at 
midnight  about  the  matter  of  his 
foul ;  and  when  he  could  not  fleep 
he  would  take  heavenly  confer- 
ence to  be  fweeter  than    his  ap- 
pointed reft.     This  was  his  ufual 
cuftom,  and  thus  he  would  pro- 
voke and  put  forward  an  experi- 
enced chriftian,  to  fpend  waking 
hours  in  talk  of  God  and  the  ever- 
lifting  reft. 

14.  Not  long    after  this,  his 
good  mother  died,  which  went  ve- 
ry 


Jl 

jy  near  bis  heart, -for  he   greatly 
honoured  his  mother. 

15.  After    the   death   of    his 
mother,  he   would   often   repeat 
fome  of  his  promifes  that  are  made 
to  fatherlefs  children,   efpecialiy 
that  in  Exod.  22.  22,  ye  ihall  not 
afflict  any  widow,  or  the   father- 
lefs  child,  if  thou  afflict  them  in 
any  wife,  and  they  cry  at  all  unto 
me,  I  will  furely  hear  their  cry. — 
Thefe  words  he  would  often  re- 
peat  with  tears,   and   fay,  I  a.m 
fatherlefs   and    motherlefs    upon 
earth,  yet  if  any  wrong  me,  I  have 
a  father  in  heaven  who  will  take 
my  part ;    to   him  I  commit  my- 
lelf,  and  in  him  is  all  my  truft. 

1 6.  Thus   he   continued  in  a 
courfe  of  holy  duties,  living  in  the 
fear  of  God,  &  (hewed  wonderful 
grace  for  a  child,  and  died  fvveet- 
ly  in  the  faith  of  Jefus. 

My  friend,  is  a  judicious  chrift- 
ian    of  many   years   experience, 

who 


who  was  no. ways  related  to  him, 
but  a  conftant  and  ear  witnefs  of 
his  godly  life,  and  honourable  and 
cheerful  death,  from  whom  I  re- 
ceived this  information. 

ty&ti&fcd^^ 

EXAMPLE     VII. 

Of  a  notorious  wicked  child,  ™bo 
was  taken  up  from  begging, 
and  admirably^  converted  :  with 
an  account  of  his  holy  life  and 
joyful  deatht  when  he  was  nine 
years  old. 

I.  \  Very  poor  child,  of  the 
jtX  parilh  of  Newingtonbuts, 
came  begging  to  the  door  of  a  dear 
chriftian  friend  of  mine,  in  a  very 
lamentable  cafe,  ib  filthy  and  naf- 
ty,that  he  would  have  even  turned 
one's  ftomach  to  have  looked  on 
him  :  but  it  pleafed  God  to  raifc 
in  the  heart  of  my  friend,  a  great 


Jo 

pity  and  tendernefs  towards  this 
poor  child,  fo  that  in  charity  he 
took  him  out  of  theftreets,  whofe 
parents  were  unknown  ;  and 
who  had  nothing  at  all  to  com- 
mend him  to  any  one's  charity, 
but  his  mifery.  My  friend  eyeing 
the  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of 
the  immortal  foul  of  this  wretched 
creature,  difcharged  the  parifli  of 
the  child, and  took  him  as  his  own, 
defigning  to  bring  him  up  ior  the 
Lord  Chrift.  A  noble  piece  of  char- 
ity !  and  that  which  did  make  the 
kindnefs  far  the  greater,  was  that 
there  feemed  tobe  very  little  hopes 
of  doing  any  good  upon  this  child, 
for  he  was  a  very  monfter  of  wick- 
ednefs,  and  a  thoufand  times  more 
miserable  and  vile  by  his  fin,  than 
by  his  poverty.  He  Was  running  to 
hell  as  foon  as  he  could  go,  and 
was  old  in  naughtinefs  when  he 
was  young  in  years  ;  and  or^e 
ill  all  fcarce  hear  of  a  per- 

fon 


6i 

fon  fo  mueh  like  the  devil  in  his 
infancy,  as  this  poor  child  was. 
What  fin  was  there  (that  his  age 
was  capable  of)  that  he  did  not 
commit  Pvvhatby  the  corruption  of 
his  nature, &  the  abominable  exam- 
ple of  little  beggar  boys,  he  was 
arrived  to  a  ftrange  pitch  of  impi- 
ety. He  would  call  filthy  names, 
take  God's  name  in  vain,  curfe 
and  (wear,  and  do  almoft  all  kind 
of  mifchief ;  and  as  to  any  thing 
of  G  od>  worie  than  a  heathen. 

2.  But  this  fin  and  mifery  was 
hut  a  ilronger  motive  to  that  gra- 
cious man  to  pity  him,  and  to  do 
all  that  poffibly  he  could  to  pluck 
the  firebrand  out  of  the  fire  ;  and 
it  was  not  long  before  the  Lord 
was  pleafed  to  let  him  underftand 
that  he  had  a  defign  of  eyerlafting 
kindnefs-upon  the  foul  of  this  poor 
child  ;  for  no  foonerhad  this  good 
man  taken  this  creature  into  his 
hou-fe,  but  he  prays  for  him,  and 
F  labours 


labours  xvith  all  his  might  to  con- 
vince him  of  his  miferable  condi- 
tion by  nature,  and  to  teach  him 
fomething:  of  God,  the  worth  of 
his  foul,  and  that  eternity:  of  glory 
or  mifery  that  he  was  born  to: 
and  bleffed  ;.be  free  grace,  it  was 
not  long  before  the  Lord  was 
pleafed  to  let  him  underftand, 
that  it  was  himfelf  which  put  it 
into  his  heart,  to  take  in  this  child, 
that  he  might  bring  him  up  for 
Chrift.  The  -Lord  foon  (truck  in 
with  his  godly  initrudtion,  fo  that 
cm  amazing  change  was  feen  in 
the  child  i  in  a  few  weeks  time  he 
was  convinced  .of  the  evil  of.  his 
ivays  ;  no  more  news  now  of  his 
calling  of  names,  fwearing,  or 
curling  ;  no  more  taking  of  the 
Lord's  name  in  vain  ;  now  he  is 
civil  and  refpeclive,  and  fuqh  a 
ilrange  alteration  wjas  wrought  in 
the  child,  that  all  the  parifh  that 
rang  of  his  villany  before/  was 
now  ready  to  talk  of  his  reform- 

atioa 


_63 

ation  ;  his  company,  his  talk,  his 
employment  is  now  changed; 
and  he  is  like  another  creature;  fo 
that  the  glory  of  God's  free  grace 
began  already  to  fhine  in  him. 

3.  And  this  change  was  not  an 
external  one,  and  to  be  difcerned 
abroad,  but  he  -would  get  by  him- 
felf,  and  weep  and   mourn  bitter- 
ly, for  his  horrible  wicked  life,  as 
might  eafily  be  perceived  by  them 
that  lived  in  the  houie  with  him. 

4.  It  was  the  great  care  of  his 
godly  matter  to  ilnke  in  with  thofe 
convictions  which  the  Lord  had 
made,  and  to  improve  them  all  he 
could  ;  and  he  was  not  a  little  glad 
to  fee  his  labour  was   not  in  vain 
in  the  Lord  :  he  ftill  experiences 
that  the   Lord  doth   carry  on  his 
own   work    mightily    upon    the 
heart  of  the  child :  he  is  ftill  more  & 
more  broken  under  a  fenfe  of  his 
undone  ftate  by  nature  :  he  is  oft 
in  tears,   and   bemoaning  his  loft 
&  miferable  condition.  Whenhi§ 


matter  did  fpeak  of  the  things  of 
God,  he  liftened  earneftly  and 
took  in  with  much  greedinefsand 
affection  what  he  was  taught,  fel- 
dom  was  there  any  difcourle  about 
foul  matters  in  his  hearing,  but  he 
heard  it  as  if  it  were  for  his  life, 
and  would  weep  greatly. 

5.  He  would  after  his  mafter 
had  been  fpeaking  to  him,  or  oth- 
ers, of  the  things   of  God,  go  to 
him,  and  queftion  with  him  about 
them,  and  beg  of  him  to  inftrudb 
and  teach  him  farther,  and  to  tell 
him  thofe   things   again,  that  he 
might  remember  and  underfland 
them  better. 

6.  Thus  he  continued  feeking 
after  the  knowledge  of  God  and 
Chrift,  and  pradtifing  holy   du- 
ties, till   the   ficknefs  came   into 
the  houfe,  with  which  the  child 
was  fmitten  ;  at  his  firft  fickening, 
the  poor  child  was  greatly  amaz- 
ed  and   afraid,     and  though  his 

ins 


pains  were  great,  and  the  diftem- 
pcr  very  tedious,  yet  the  fenfe  of 
his  fin,  and  the  thought  of  the 
rniferable  condition  that  he  feared 
his  foul  was  ftill  in,  made  his 
trouble 'ten  times  greater:  He 
was  in  grievous  agonies  of  fpirit, 
and  his  former  -fins  flared  him  in 
the  face,  and  made  him  tremble  ; 
the  poifon- of  God's  arrows  did  e- 
ven  drink  up  his  fpirits  ;  the 
fenfe  of  fin  and  wrath  was  fo 
great,  that  he  could  not  tell  what 
in  the  world  to  do  ;  the  weight 
of  God's  difpleafure,  and  the 
thought  of  lying  under  it  to  all  e- 
ternity,  did  even  break  him  to 
pieces,  and  he  did  cry  out  very  bit- 
ty, what  fhould  he  do  ?  He  was 
a  rniferable  finner,  and  he  feared 
that  he  fhould  go  to  hell  ;  his  fins 
had  been  fo  great  and  many,  that 
there  was  no  hopes  for  him.  He 
was  not  by  far  fa  much  concern? 
ed  for  his  life,  as  for  his  foul, 
Fz  what 


what  \vould  become  of  that  forev- 
er. Now  the  plague  upon  his 
body  feemed  nothing  to  that  which 
was  in  his  foul. 

7.  But  in  this  great  diftrefs  the 
Lord  was  pleafed  t®  fend  one  to 
take  care  for  his  foul,  who  urged 
to   him   the   great   and   precious 
promifes  which  were  made  to  one 
in   his  condition ;     telling     him 
there  was   enough   in    Chrift   for 
the  chiefeft  of  finners  ;  and   that 
he  came  to  feek   and   fave   fuch  a 
loft  creature  as  he  was.     But  this 
poor  child  found  it  a  very  difficult 
thing  for  him  to  believe  that  there 
was  any  mercy   for  fuch  a  dread- 
ful finner  as  he  had  been. 

8.  He  was  made  to  cry  out  of 
himfelf,  not  only  fcr  his  fvvearing 
and  lying,  and  other  outwardly 
notorious   fins ;    but    he   was   in 
great  horror  for  the  fin  of  his  na- 
ture, for  the  vilenefs  of  his  heart, 
and  original  corruption  ;  under  it 

he 


he  was  in  fo  great  anguifh,  that 
the  trouble  of  his  fpirit,  made  him 
in  a  great  meafure  to  forget  the 
pains  of  his  body. 

9.  He  did  very  particularly 
confefs  and  bewail  his  fins  with 
tears  ;  and  fome  fin§  fo  fecret, 
that  none  in  the  world  could 
charge  him  with  them. 

i  p.  He  would  condemn  him- 
feli  for  iin,  as  deierving  no  mer- 
cy ;  and  thought  that  there  was 
not  a  greater  {inner  in  all  London 
than  him  (elf,  and  he  abhorred 
himfelf  as  the  vileft  creature1 
he  knew, 

1 1 .  He  did  not  only  pray  much 
with  {hong  cries  and  tears  himfelf, 
hut  he  begged  the  prayers  of  chrifn 
tians  for  him. 

12.  He  would  afk  chriftians, 
whether  they  thought  there  were 
any  hopes  ior    hkn,   and    would 
beg  of  them  to  deal  plainly  with 
him,  for  he  was  greatly  afraid  ol 

being  deceived.  13, 


13-  Being  informed  how  wil- 
ling the  Lord  Chrift  was  to  accept 
of  poor  finners.  upon  their  repen- 
tance and  turning,  and  being 
counfellcd  to  venture himfelf upon 
Chrift  for  mercy  and  falvatipn, 
lie  faid,  he  would  fain  caft  him- 
felf upon  Chrift,  but  he  could 
notbut  wonder,  how  Chrift  fhould 
be  willing  to  die  for  fuch  a  vile 
"wretch  was  he  was  ;  and  that  he 
found  it  one  ofthe  hardeft  things 
in  the  world  to  believe. 

14.  But  at  laft  it  pleafed  the 
Lord  to  give  him  iome  fmall 
hopes  that  there  might  be  mercy 
for  him,  for  he  had  been  the  chief- 
eft  of  finners  ;  and  was  made  to 
lay  a  little  hold  upon  fuch  prom- 
ifes,  as  that,  come  unto  me,  all  ye 
that  are  weary  and  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  reft.  But  O  I 
how  did  this  poor  boy  admire  and 
blefs  God  for  the  leaft  hopes  ! 
How  highly  did  he  prize  fuch  free 

and 


and  rich  grace,  thatiliould  pity 
and  pardon  him  !  and  at  laft  he 
was  full  of  praife,  and  admiring 
of  God  ;  fo  that  (to  fpeak  in  the 
words  of  a  precious  man,  who 
was  an  eye  and  ear  witnefs)  to 
the  piaife  and  glory  of  God,  be  it 
i'poken,  the  houfe  at  that  day,  for 
all  the  fkknefs  in  it,  was  a  little 
lower  heaven,  fo  full  of  joy  and 
praife. 

15.  The  child  grew  exceed- 
ingly in  knowledge,  experience, 
patience,  humility  and  felf  ab- 
liorrency ;  and  he  thought  he 
could  never  fpeak  bad  enough  of 
himielf,  the  name  that  he  would 
call  himielf  by.,  was  a  toad. 

1-6.  And  though  he  prayed 
before,  yet  now  the  Lord  poured 
put  upon  him  the  fpirit  of  grayer, 
in  an  extraordinary  manner  for 
of  his  age  ;  io  that  now  he 
prayed  more  frequently,  more 
earndtly,  more  fpiritually  than 

ever 


7Q 

ever.  O  how  eagerly  would  he 
Leg  to  be  wafhcd  in  the  blood  of 
jefus  !  and  that  the  King  of 
kings,  and  Lord  of  lords,  that 
•was  over  heaven  and  earth,  and 
fea,  would  pardon  and  forgive 
him  all  his  fins,  and  receive  his 
foul  into  *  his  kingdom.  And 
xvhat  he  fpoke,  jt  .was  with  fo 
much  life  and  fervor  of  fpirit,  as 
that  it  filled  the  hearers  with  af- 
Jonifhment  and  joy. r  - 

17.  '    He  had    a  fmall  fenfe  of 
the  life  and  excellency  of  Chrift, 
and  fuch  longings  and  breathings 
of  his  foul  after  him,  that  when 
mention  hath  been  made  of  Chrift, 
he  hath  been  ready  almoft  to  leap 
put  of  his  bed  for  joy. 

18.  When  he  was  told,  that  if 
he  fhould  recover,   lie   muft  not 
live  as  he  lift  ;  but  he  muft  give 
up  himfelf  to  Chrift,  and  to  be 
his  child  and  fervant,  to  bear  his 
yoke  and  be  obedient  to  his  laws, 

and  • 


and  live  a  holy  life,  and  take  his 
crofs,  and  fuffer  mocking  and  rerr 

K  roach,  it  may;  be,  perfecution  for 
is  name's  fake.  Now,  child> 
(faid  one  to  him)  are  you  willing 
to  have  Chrift  upon  iuch  terms  ? 
He  iignified  his  willingnefs  by.t;he 
earnelinefs  of  his  looks  and  words, 
and  .the  cafting  up  of  his  eyes  to 
heaven,  laying,, yes  with  all  rriy 
foul,  the  Lord  helping  me,  I  will 
do  this.  •  :  ^  . 

,  19.  .  Yet  he  had  many  doubts 
and  fears,  and  was  ever  and  anoa 
harping  upon  that,  that  though 
he  were  willing,;  ;yet  Chrift  he 
feared  was  not  willing  to  accept 
him,  becaufe  of  the-greatneis  of 
his  fins  ;  ver.Ms  hopes  were  great- 
er than  his  fears* 
;  20.  The  VVv  aicfday  before  he 
died,  the. child  lay  as  it  were  in  at 
trance  for  about  half  an  hour,  in 
which  time  he  thought  he  faw  a 
vifion  of  angels ;  when  he  was* 

out 


out  of  his  trance,  he  was  in  a  lit- 
tle pet,  and  aiked  his  nurfe,  why 
fiie  did  not  let  him  go  ?  go,  whi- 
ther child,   faid  fhe  :    why  along 
with  thofe  brave  gentleman  (faid 
he)   but  they  told  me  they  would 
come  and  fetch  me  for  all  of  you 
upon  Friday  next.  And  he  doub- 
led his  words  many  times,  upon- 
Friday  next,  thofe  brave  gentle- 
men will  come  for  me ;  and  upon 
that  day,  the  child  died  joyfully. 
2i.     He  was  very  thankful   to 
his  mafter,  and  very  fenfible  of  his 
great  kindnefs  in   taking  him  out 
of  the  ftreets,  when  he  was  a  beg- 
ging :  and  he  admired  at  the  good- 
nefs  of  God,   which   put   it  into 
the  mind  of  a  ftranger  to  look  up- 
on, and  to  take  fuel)  a  fatherly 
care  of  fuch  a  pitiful  forry  crea- 
ture as  he  was.    O  my  dear  maft- 
er, (laid  he)  and  fervantof  God, 
J  hope  to  fee  you  in  heaven,  for  £ 
gm  lure  you  will  go  thither.    O 
bleffed, 


bleffed,  bleffed,  be  God,  that  made 
you  to  take  pity  upon  me,  for  I 
might  have  died,  and  have  gone 
to  the  devil,  and  have  been  damn- 
ed forever,  if  it  had  not  been  f  o£ 
you. 

22.  The  Thurfday  before  he 
died,  he  alked  a  very  godly  friend 
of  mine,  what  he  thought  of  his 
condition,  and  whither  his  foul 
was  rfow  going  ?  for  he  faid,  he 
could'  net  ftill  but  fear,  leaft  he 
ihould  deceive  himfelf  with  falfc 
hopes.  At  which  my  friend  fpoke 
to  him  thus,  child,  for  all  that  I 
have  endeavoured  to  hold  forth 
the  grace  of  God  in  Chrift  to  thy 
foul,  and  given  you  a  warrant 
from  the  word  of  God,  that  Chrift 
is  as  freely  offered  to  you,  as  to 
any  finner  in  the  world  ;  if  thoii 
art  but  willing  to  accept  of  him, 
thou  mayeft  have  Chrift,  and  all 
that  thou  doft  want  with  him ;  and 

yet 
O 


74 

yet  thou  doft  give  way  to  thefe 
thy  doublings  and  fears,  as  though 
I  told  you  nothing  but  lies.  Thou 
fayeft,  thou  feareft  that  Chrift 
will  not  accept  of  thee ;  I  fear 
thou  art  not  heartily  willing  to 
accept  of  him.  The  child  anfwer- 
ed,  indeed  I  am  :  why  then,  child, 
if  thou  art  unfeignedly  willing  to 
have  Chrift,  I  tell  thee  he  is  a 
thoufand  times  more  willing  to 
have  thee, and  wafli  thee,  and  faye 
thee,  than  thou  art  to  defire  it. 
And  now  at  this  time  Chrift  of- 
fers himfelf  freely  to  thee  again  ; 
therefore  receive  him  humbly  by 
faith  into  thy  heart,  and  bid  him 
welcome,  for  he  deferveth  it.  Up- 
on which  wards  the  Lord  difcover- 
ed  his  love  to  Chrift,  and  he  gave 
a  kind  of  a  leap  in  his  bed,  and 
inapt  his  fingers  and  thumbs  to- 
gether with  abundance  of  joy,  as 
much  as  to  fay,  well,  vea  all  is 
•well,  the  match  is  made,  tJhrift  is 
willing, 


75  ^ 

willing,  and  I  am  willing  too; 
and  now  Chrift  is  mine,  and  I  arn. 
his  forever.  And  from  that  time 
forward,  in  full  joy  and  afiqrancc 
of  God's  love,  he  continued  ear- 
neftly  praifmg  God,  with  defir- 
ingtodie,  and  he  with  Chrift. 
And  on  Friday  morning  he  fvveet- 
}y  went  to  reft,  ufmg  that  very  ex.- 
preflion,  into  thy  hands,  Lord,  I 
commit  my  fpirit.  He  died 
punctually  at  that  time  which  he 
had  fpoke  of,  and  in  which  he  ex- 
pected thpfe  angels  to  come  to 
him  ;  he^was  not  much  above  nine 
years  old  when  he. died. 

This  narrative  I  had  from  a  ju- 
dicious holy  m^n,  who  was  an 
eye  and  car  witnefs  to  nil  theic 


EXAMPLE 


EXAMPLE     VIIJ 


O/*#  child  that  was  very  ferious  at 

four  years  old,  with  an  account 

of  his   comfortable  death,    when 

he  was  twelve  years  and  three 

weeks  old, 

TOhn  Sudlow,  was  born  of  reli- 
gious parents,  in  the  county  of 
Middlefex,  whofe  great  care  was 
to  inftil  fpiritual  principles  into 
3iim,  as  foon  as  he  was  capable  of 
tmderftanding  of  them  ;  whofe 
endeavours  the  Lord  was  pleafed 
to  crown  with  the  defired  fuccefs  ; 
fo  that  (to  ufe  the  expreffion  of  a 
holy  man  concerning  him)  fcarce 
more  could  be  expe&ed  or  defir- 
ed from  fo  litrle  a  one. 

2.    When  he  was  fcarce  able  to 
fpeak  plain,  he  feemed  to  have  a 

very 


71 

very  great  awe  and  reverence  of 
God  upon  his  fpirit,  and  a  ftrange 
fenJe  of  the,  things  of  another 
world,  as  might  eafily  be  perceiv- 
ed by  thofe  ierious  and  admira- 
ble queftions  which  he  would  be 
oft  alking  of  thofe  chriftians  that 
he  thought  he  might  be  bold  with. 
3.  Tlie  firft  thing  that  did  iTipft 
affect  him,  and  made  him  en- 
deavour to  efcape  from  the  wrath 
to  come,  and  to  enquire  w\y^t  he 
jhould  do  to  be  (lived,  was  the 
death  of  a  little  brother  ;  when  he 
faw  him  without  breath,  and  not 
able  to  fpeak  orftir,  and  then  car- 
ried out  of  doors,  and  put  into  a 
pit  hole,  he  was  greatly  concern- 
ed, and  allied  notable  queftions 
about  him  ;  but  that  which  was 
moft  affecting  of  himfelf  and  oth- 
ers, was,'  whether  he  muft  die 
too  ?  which  being  anfwered,  it 
made  fuch  a  deep  imprcflion  up* 

G  2,  OJV 


on  him,  that  from  that  time  for-' 
\vard,  he  was  exceeding  ferious, 
and  this  was  when  he  was  about 
four  years  old. 

4.  Now  he  is  defirous  to  know 
what  he  might  do  that  he  might 
live  in  another  world,  and  what 
lie  muft  avoid,  that  he  might  not 
die  for  ever,  and  being  inftructed 
by  his  godly  parents,  he  foon  la- 
bours to  avoid  whatloever  might 
difpi^afe  God  ;  now  tell  him  that 
any  thing  was  finful,  and  that  God 
"would  not  have  him  to  do  it,  and 
lie  is  eafily  kept  from  it,  and  evert 
at  this  time  of  day,  the  appre- 
heniions  of  God  and  death  and 
eternity  laid  fuch  a  reftraint  upon 
him,  that  he  would  not  for  a  world 
have  told  a  lie. 

5.  He  quickly  learned  to  read 
exactly,  and  took  fuch  plcafure  in 
reading  of  the  icriptures  and  his 
catechifm,  and  other  good  books, 
that  it  is  fcarce  to  be  parallelled  ; 

he 


79 

he  would  naturally  run  to  his  book 
\vithoutbidding,  when  he  came 
home  from  fchool,  and  when  oth- 
er children  of  his  age  and  ac- 
quaintance were  playing,  he  reck- 
oned it  his  recreation  to  be  doing 
gpod, 

6.  When  he  was  in  coats,  he 
would  be  ftill  afking  his  maid 
ferious  queftions,  and  praying  her 
to  teach  him  his  catechifrn,  or 
fcripture,  or  fome  good  thing  ; 
common  difcourfe  he  took  no  de- 
light in,  but  did  moft  eagerly  de- 
fire  to  be  fucking  in  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  things  of  God,  jChrift, 
his  foul,  and  another  world. 

7.  He  was  hugely  taken  with 
the  reading  of  the  book  of  mar- 
tyrs, and  would  be  ready  to  leave 
his  dinner  to  go  to  his  book. 

8.  He  was   exceeding  careful 
of  redeeming  and  improveing  of 
time  ;  fcarce  a  moment  of  it,  but 
he  wouldgivc  an  excellent  account 

of 


80 

of  the  expence  of  it ;  fo  thai  this 
child  might  have  taught  elder  per- 
ions,  and  will  queftionlefs  con- 
demn their  idle  and  unaccountable 
waiting  of  thofe  precious  hours 
m  which  they  fhould  (as  this 
fweet  child)  have  been  laying  in 
proyi  fieri  for  eternity. 
:  9.  He  could  not  endure  to  read 
anything  over  {lightly,  but  what- 
ioever  he  read,  he  dwelt  upon  it, la- 
boured to  underftapd  it  thorough- 
ly, and  lemcrriber  it,  and  what  he 
could  not  underftand,  he  would 
oft  afk  his  father  or  mother  tjie 
meaning  of  it. 

10.  When  any  c.hriftian  friends 
have  been  difcourfing  with  his 
father,  if  they  began  to  talk  aoy 
thing  about  religion,  to  be  fure 
they  (liould  have  his  company, 
and  of  his  own  accord,  he  would 
leave  all  to  hear  any  thing  of 
Chrift,  and  creep  as  clofe  to  them 
as  he  could, and  liften  as  affedtion* 

ately, 


Si 

ately,  though  it  were  for  an  hour 
or  two  :  He  was  Icarce  ever 
known  to  exprefs  the  leaft  token 
of  wearinefs  while  he  was  hand- 
ling any  thing  that  was  good,  and 
fometimes,  when  neighbours  chil- 
dren would  come  and  call  him 
out,  and  entice  him,  and  beg  of 
him  to  go  with  them,  he  could 
by  no  means  be  perfuaded,  (tho/ 
he  might  have  had  the  leave  of  his 
parents)  if  he  had  any  hopes  that 
any  good  boys  would  come  into 
his  father's  houfe, 

ii.  He  was  very  modeft  while 
any  ftranger  was  prefent,  and  was 
loth  to  afk  them  any  queftions  ; 
but  as  foon  as  they  were  gone,  he 
would  let  his  father  know  that 
there  was  little  laid  or  done,  but 
he  obferved  it,  and  would  reflect 
upon  what  was  part  in  their  dif- 
conrfe,  and  defire  fatisfaction  in 
what  he  could  not  underftand  at 
prefent, 

12. 


•**'  • 

12.  He  was  a  boy  of  mod  pror. 
digous  parts   for  his  age,  as   will 
appear  from  his  folici  arid  ration- 
al queftions ;  I  mall  mention   but 
two  of  many. 

13.  The  firft  was  this,  when 
he   was   reading  by   himfelf,  in 
Draiton's     poems  about    Noah's 
flood  and  the  ark  ?   It  being  an- 
ivvered,  that  it  was    likely    that 
Noah     hired  men    to   help  him 
build  it :  and  would  they  (faid  he) 
build  an  ark  to  fave  another,  and 
not  go  into  it  themfelves  ? 

14.  Another  queftion  he  put 
was    this  :  which  had  a  greater 
glory,   faints  or  angels  ?  It  being 
anl'wered,    that   angels   were  the 
rnoft    excellent  of  creatures,    and 
it  is  to  be  thought,  their  nature  is 
made    capable   of    greater  glory 
than   man's.     He  faid,  he  was  of 
another  mind,  and  his  reafon  was, 
Ijecaufe  angels  were  fervants,  and 
faints  are  children ;  and  that  Chriit 

never 


Ji 

took  upon  him  the  nature 
of  faints,  and  by  his  being  man, 
he  hath  advanced  human  nature 
above  the  nature  of  angels. 

15.  By  this  you  may  perceive 
the  greatnefs  of  his  parts,  and  the 
bent  of  his  thoughts;  and  thus  he 
continued    for   ieveral   years   to- 
gether, labouring  to  get  more  and 
more  f pi  ritual  knowledge,  and  to 
prepare  for  an  endlefs  life. 

1 6.  He  was  a  child  of  an  excel- 
lent  fweet   temper,    wonderfully 
dutiful  to  his  parents,    ready  and 
joyful  to  do  what  he  was  bid,  and 
by  no  means  would  do  any  thing 
to    difpleafe    them,    and   if  they 
\vere  at  any  time  feemingly  angry, 
he  would  not  ftir  from  them,  till 
they   were  thought  reconciled  to 
him. 

17.  He  was  not  only  good  him- 
felf,  but  would  do  what  he  could 
to  make  others    fo  too,  efpecially 
thofe   that  were  neareft  to  him  ; 

he 


84 

he  was  very  watchful  over  his 
brethren  and  fitters,  and  would 
not  fuffer  them  to  ufe  any  un- 
handfome  adtion,  but  he  would 
be  putting  them  upon  that  which 
was  good  ;  and  when  he  did  at 
any  time  rebuke  them,  it  was  not 
childifhly  and  flightly,  but  with 
great  gravity,  and  ferioufnefs,  a£ 
one  that  was  not  a  little  concerned 
for  God's  honour,  and  the  eternal 
welfare  of  their  fouls. 

1 8,  He  would  go  to  his  father 
and  mother  with  great  tendefnefs 
and  companion,  (being  far  from 
telling  of  tales)  and  beg  of  them, 
iO  take  more  care  of  the  fouls  of 
his  brethren  and  fifters  ;  and  to 
take  heed,  left  they  mould  go  on 
in  a  finful  Chriftlefs  ftate,  and 
prove  their  forrow  and  fhame, 
and  go  to  hell  when  they  die, 
and  be  ruined  forever. 

29.  He  was  exceedingly  affect- 
ed with  hearing  of  the  word  of 

God 


God  preached,  and  could  not  be 
fatisfied,  except  he  could  carry 
home  much  of  the  fubftance  of 
what  he  heard;  to  this  end  he 
quickly  got  to  learn  fhort  hand, 
and  would  give  a  very  pretty  ac- 
count of  any  fermon  that  he  heard, 

20.  He  was  much  engaged  in 
fecret   duty,   and   in  reading  the 
fcripture  $  to  befure  morning  and 
evening  he  would  be  by  himfelf, 
and   was,  no  queftion,   wreftling 
with  God. 

21.  He  would  get  choice  fcrip- 
tures  by  heart,  and  was  very  per- 
fect at  his  catechifm. 

22.  The  providence   of  God 
were  not  parted  by,  without  con- 
fiderable  obfervation  by  him. 

23.  In  the  time  of  the  plague, 
he  was  exceedingly  concerned  a- 
bout  his  foul  and  everlafting  ftate ; 
and   much   oy  himfelf  upon  his 
knees.     This  prayer  was   found 
written  in   jChort  hand   after  his 
death.  H          O  Lord 


86 

OLord  God  and  merciful  father 
take  pity  upon  me  a  miferable 
Jinner,  and  ftrengthen  me,  O  Lord, 
keep  me  from  this  poifonous  infec- 
tion ;  however,  not  my  will  but  thy 
will  be  done,  0  Lord,  on  earth,  as 
it  is  in  heaven  ;  but,  0  Lord,  if 
thou  haji  appointed  me  to  die  by  it% 
OLord,  Jit  me  for  death,  &  give  me 
a  good  heart  to  bear  up  under  my 
afflictions:  0  Lord  God  and  merciful 
father  take  pity  on  me  thy  child  ; 
teach  me  O  Lord  thy  word,  make 
me  fir  ong  in  faith.  OLord,  I  have 
finned  again  ft  thee ;  Lord  pardon 
my  Jins '.  I  had  been  in  hell  long  ago 
if  it  had  not  been  for  thy  mercy  :  O 
Lord,  Iprjythee  to  keep  my  parents 
in  thy  truth,  and fave  them  from 
this  infeEfion,  if  it  be'  thy  will, 
that  they  niay  live  to  bring  me  up 
in  thy  trufk  :  0  Lord,  I  pray  thee 
Jlay  this  infeSion  that  rageth  in 
this  city,  and  pardon  their  jins, 
and  try  «viw/  once  more,  and  fee  if 

they 


JL 

they  ivill  turn  unto  tlee.  Save  me, 
O  Lord,  from  this  infeftion,  that  I 
may  live  to  praife  ana  glorify  thy 
name  ;  but,  0  Lord,  n  th  u  La  ft 
appointed  me  to  die  of  it,  ji:  me  for 
death,  that  I  may  die  with  cowjorl; 
and,  O  Lord,  I  pray  tbce  /0  help 
me  to  bear  up  under  all  afflictions  ; 
for  Ch  nft  ys  fak e.  Amen. 

24.  He  was  not  a  little  con- 
cerned for  the  whole  nation,  and 
begged  that  God  would  pardon 
the  fins  of  the  land,  and  bring  it 
nearer  to  himfelf. 

25  About  the  beginning  of 
November  1665,  this  fweet  child 
was  (mote  with  the  diftemper, 
but  he  carried  it  with  admirable 
patience  under  the  hand  of  God. 

26.  Thefe  are  fame  of  his  dy- 
ingexprcffions — the  Lord  (hall  be 
my  phyfician,  fcr  he  will  cure 
both  foul  and  body.  Heaven  is 
the  beft  hofpital :  It  is  the  Lord, 
let  him  do  what  feemeth  good  in 

his 


88 

his  eyes.  Again,  it  is  (he  Lord 
that  taketh  away  my  health  ;  but 
I  will  fay  as  Job  laid,  bleffed  be 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  If  1  iliould 
live  longer,  1  fliallbut  fin  againft 
God.  Looking  upon  his  father, 
he  laid,  if  the  Lord  would  but 
lend  rne  the  leaft  ringer  of  his 
hand,  to  lead  rne  through  the  dark 
entry  of  death,  I  will  rejoice  in. 
him. 

27.  When  a  minifter  came  to 
him,    among 'other    things,    he 
fpake  fomewhat  of  life.  He  faid, 
this  is  a  wicked  world,  yet  it  is 
good   to  live   with   my  parents, 
but  it  is  better  to  live  in  heaven. 

28.  An  hour  and  a  half  before 
his  death,  the  fame  minifter  came 
again  to  vifit  him,  and  aiked  him, 
John,  art  thou  afraid  to  die  ?  He 
anf \vered,     no,  if  the  Lord  will 
but  comfort  me  in  that  hour.  But 
faid  the  minifter,  how  canft  thou 
expert   coipfort,    feeing  we   de- 

fcrve 


ferve  none  ?  He  anfwered,  no,  if 
I  had  my  deferts,  I  had  been  in 
hell  long  ago.  But,  leciied  the 
minifter,  which  way  doit  thou 
expedt  comfort  and  ialvation,  fee- 
ing.thouart  a  finner,  hcaniwered, 
in  Chrift  alone.  In  whom  about 
an  hour  and  an  half  after,  .he  fell 
afleep,  faying,  he  would  take  a 
long  deep,  charging  them  that 
\vere  about  him  not  to  wake  him. 
He  died  wlien  he  was  twelve 
years,  three  weeks,  and  one  day 
old. 


Hi       EXAMPLE 


EXAMPLE    IX. 

Of  a  child  that  was  very  eminent 
when  fhe  was  between  jive  and 
fix  years  old,  withfome  memora- 
ble p  aff ages  of  her  fife,  who  died, 
about  1640. 

?.  A  NNE  Lane  was  born  of 
£\.  honed  parents  in  Cole- 
Brook,  in  the  county  of  Bucks, 
who  was  no  fooner  able  to  fpeak 
plain,  and  exprefsany  thing  con- 
iiderahle  of  reafon,  but  (lie  began 
to  act  as  if  fhe  were  fan&ified 
from  the  very  womb. 

2.  She  was  very  felicitous  a- 
bout  her  foul,  what  would  be- 
come of  it  when  (lie  fhould  die, 
and  where  (lie  fhould  live  for 
ever,  and  what  fhe  fhould  do  to 
be  faved,  when  ilie  was  about 
live  years  old.  3- 


9* 

3.  She  was  wont  to  be  oft  en- 
gaged in  iecret  prayer,   and  pour- 
ing out  her  foul  in  inch  a  manner, 
as  is  rarely  to  be  heard   of  from 
one  of  her  years. 

4.  I  had     occaiion   to  lie  at 
Colebrook,  lent  for  her  father,  an 
old  difciple,  an  Ifraelite  indeed, 
and  defired  him  to  give  me  fome 
account  of  his   experiences,  and 
how  the  Lord  iirft  wrought  upon 
him  ? 

5.  He   gave   me  this  anfwer, 
that  he  was  a  child  of  fome  what 
civil;   honeft,   and  as   to  a  man, 
harmlefs  ;   but    he    ivas  little  ac- 
quainted  with  the  pu\vci    ui  ivi:. 
gion,  till  this  fweet  child  put  him 
upon  a  thorough  inquiry  into  the 
ftateof  fouls,  and  would  ft  ill  be 
begging   of    him,   and   pleading 
with   him    to   redeem   his  time, 
and  to  aft  with  life  and  vigour  in 
the  things  of  God,  which  was  no 
irnall  demonjftration  to  him  of  the 

reality 


92 

reality  of  invifiblcs,  that  a  very 
babe  and  fuckling  ihould  fpeak 
io  feelingly  about  the  things  of 
God,  and  be  fo  greatly  concerned, 
not  only  about  her  own  foul,  but 
about  her  father's  too,  which  was 
the  occaiion  of  his  converfion, 
and  the  very  thought  of  it  was  a: 
quickening  to  him  for  thirty  years, 
and  he  hopes  never  to  wear  off  the 
impreffion  of  it  from  his  fpirit. 

6.  After  this  me  (as  I  remem- 
•her)  put  her  father  upon  family 
'duties,  and   if  he   were  for  any 
timeout   of  his  f hop, '(he  would 

;^!     ->nd    with    much 
-    —  - -1   '~'u'-'    r--~   «<i  '  /• 

iVveetHefs  and  humility  beg  of 
him  to  come  home,  and  to  re- 
member the  preciouinefsof  time, 
for  which  we  mull  all  give  an  ac- 
count. 

7.  She  was  grieved  if  the  law 
any  that  converged  with  her  fath- 
er, if  they  were  unprofitable,  un- 
fayory,  or  long  in  their  difcourfe 
of- common  things.  8, 


93 

8.  Her  own  language  was  the 
language  of  Canaan ;  how  folidly, 
profitable,  and  fpiritually  would 
flie  talk  ?   fo  that  me  made  good 
people   take  great  delight  in  her 
company,  and  juftly  drew  the  ad* 
miration  of  all  that  knew  her. 

9.  She   could   not  endure  the 
company  of  common  children, 
nor  play,  but  was  quite  above  all 
thofe  things  which  rnoft  children 
are  taken  with  ;  her  bufinefs  was 
to  be  reading,  pray  ing, difcourfing 
about  the  things  of  God,  and  any 
kind  of  bufinefs  that  her  age  and 
ftrength  was  capable  of  j  idle  llie 
would  not  be  by  any  means. 

10.  It  was  the  greateft  recrea- 
tion to  her  to  hear  any  good  peo- 
ple talking  about   God,    Chrift, 
their  fouls,  the  fcriptures,  or  any 
thing  that  concerned  another  life. 

^i  i .  She  had  a  ftrange  contempt 
of  the   world,   and  fcorned  thole 
things  which  moft  are  too  much 
pleated 


94 

pleafed  with.  She  could  not  be 
brought  to  wear  any  laces,  or 
any  thing  that  fhe  thought  iuper- 
fluous. 

12.  She  would  be  com  paining 
to  her    parents    if  (he   faw   any 
thing   in    them     that   fhe  judg- 
ed   would   not   be   for   the   hon- 
our of  religion,  or  fuitable  to  that 
condition   which   the  providence 
of  God  had   fet  them  in,  in  the 
world. 

13.  This    child    was    the  joy 
and  delight  of  all   the   chnftians 
thereabouts,  in  thofe  times,  who 
-was  ftill  quickening  and  railing  of 
the    fpirits   of  thofe    that  talked 
with  her.      This   poor   babe  was 
a   great  help  to   both   father  and 
mother,  and  her  memory  isfweet 
to  this  day. 

14.  She  continued  thus  to  walk 
as  a  ftrangerin  the  world,  and  one 
that  was  making  hafte  to  a  better 
place-  And  after  ihe  had  done  a 

great 


95 

great  deal  of  work  for  God  and 
her  own  foul,  and  others  too,  Ihe 
was  called  home  to  reft,  and  re- 
ceived into  the  arms  of  Jefus,  be- 
fore (he  was  ten  years  old  j  file 
departed  about  1640. 


EXAMPLE    X. 

Of  a  child  that  was  awakened  when 
Jhc  was  between  f  even  and  eight 
years  old,  with  fame  account  of 
her  lajl  hours,  and  trjjkinptani 
death. 

i.  HpABITHA  Alder  was  a 
Jl  daughter  of  a  holy  and 
reverend  m  in  liter  in  Kent,  who 
lived  near  Gravefend.  She  was 
much  ih'ftru&ed  in  the  holy  fcrip- 
tures  and  her  catechifm,  by  father 
and  mother,  but  there  appeared 
nothing  extraordinary  in  her,  till 
flie  was  between  levcn  and  eight 
years  old.  2, 


2.  About  this  time,  when  fhe 
was  fick,  one  afked  her,  what  fhe 
thought  would  become  of  her  if 
fhe   fhould   die?    She   anfvvered, 
that   flie  was  greatly  afraid   fhe 
fhould  go  to  hell. 

3.  Being  afked,  why  fhe  was 
afraid  of  going  to  hell  ?  She  an- 
fwered,  becaufe  flie  feared  fhe  did 
not  love  God. 

4.  Again,    being  afked,  how 
flie  did  know  that  fhe  did  not  love 
God  ?  She  replied,   what   have  I 
done  for  God  ever  fince  I   was 
born?    And  befides  this,  I  have 
been  taught,    that  he  that   loves 
God  keeps   his  commandments, 
but   I  have  kept  none  of  them 
at  all. 

5.  Being  further  demanded  if 
fhe  would  not  fain  love  God  ?  fhe 
anfwered,  yes,  with  all  her  heart, 
if  fhe  could,  but  fhe  found  it  a 
hard  thing  to  love  one     fhe  did 
not  fee. 

6. 


97 

6.  She  was  advifed  to  beg  of 
God  a  heart  to  love  him  :  fhe  an- 
iwered,  (he  was  afraid  it  was  too 
late. 

7.  Being  afked  again,  wheth- 
er (he  was  not  forry  that  (he  could 
not  love  God  ?  (heanfwered,  yes, 
but  was  ftill  afraid  it  was  too  late. 

8.  Upon  this,  feeing   her    in 
fuch  a  defponding  condition,   a 
dear  friend  of  hers  fpent  the  next 
day  in  failing  and  prayer  for  her. 

9.  After  this,   that  Chriftian 
friend  afked   her  how    Ihe    did 
DOW  ?  (he  anfvvered  with  a  great 
deal  of  joy,  that  now  fhe  bleffed 
the  Lord,  ilie  loved  the  Lord  Jefus 
dearly,  (he  felt  fhe  did  love   him* 
Oh,  laid  (lie,  I  love  him  dearly. 

10.  Why  faid  her  friend,  did 
you  not  fay  ycllerday,  that  you 
did  not  love  the   Lord,   and   that 
you    could  not  ?    why    did  you 
mean  to  fpeak  fo  ftrangely  ?  furc 
{faid  (he)  it  was  Satan  that  did 

put 


put  it  into  my  mind  :  But  now  I 
love  him,  O  bleffed  be  God  lor 
the  Lord  Jefus  Chnft. 

11.  After  this,  ihe  had  a  dif- 
cbveryofher  approaching  dilTo- 
lution,  which  was  no  fmall  com- 
fort to  her  :  Anon  (faid  Ihe,  with 
a  holy   triumph)  I  fhall  be   with 
Jefus,  I  am  married  to  him,  and 
he  hath  given  himfelf  to  me,  arid 
I  fliall  live  with  him  forever. 

12.  This     ftrange    language 
made  the  hearers  even  ftand  fcf- 
tonifhed  *,  But  thus  flie  continued 
ior  fome  little  time,  in  a  kind  of 
extacy  of  joy,  admiring  the  excel- 
lency of  Chrift,  rejoicing  in  her 
interefl  in  him,  and  longing  to  be 
with  him. 

13.  After  a  while,  fome  of  her 
friends  ftand  ing  by  her,  obferved 
a  more  than  ordinary  earneftnefs 
and  fixednefs  in  her  countenance ; 
ihcy  in  id  one  to  another,  look  how 
rarncitly  llr^  looks,  fure  ihe  feeeth 
fumcthmg.  14. 


99 

14.  One  afked,  what  it   was 
(be  fixed  her  eyes  upon  fo  eager- 
ly ;  I  warrant  (faith  one  that  was 
by)  fhe  feeth  death  acomihg. 

15.  No,  (faid  fhe)  it  is  glory- 
that  I  fee,  it  is  that  I  fix  my  eyes 
upon. 

16.  One  a{ked  her,  what  was 
glory  like  ?  fhe  anfwered,  I  can- 
not fpeak  what,  but  I   am  going 
to  it ;  will  you   go  with   me  ?  I 
am  going  to  glory,  O  that  all  you 
were  to  go  with  me  to  that  glory  ? 
With  which  words  her  foul   took 
wing,  and  went  to  the  poffeffion 
of  that  glory  which  fhe  had  fome 
believing  fight  of  before. 

17.  She  died   when  fhe  was 
between  eight  and  nine  years  old,1 
about  1644. 


-i  OP 
<$bQ&c$xg3C&^ 

EXAMPLE     XI. 

Of  a  child  that  was  greatly  affected 
with  the  things  of  God,  whenjhe 
was  very  young,  'with  an  ex  aft 
account  of  her  admirable  carriage 
upon  her  death  bed. 

'i.  OUSANNAH  Bicks  was 
O  born  at  Leiden  in  Holland, 
Jan.  24,  1650,  of  very  religious 
parents,  whofe  great  care  was  to 
inftrudl  and  chaftife  this  their 
child,  and.  to  prefent  her  to  the 
ininifters  of  the  place,  to  be  pub- 
licly inftrudted  and  chafHfed. 

2.  It  pleafed  the  Lord  to  blefs 
the  holy  education,  and  good  ex- 
ample of  her  parents,  and  cate- 
chifing,  to  the  good  of  her  foul, 
fo  that  ihe  loon  had  a  true  favour 
and  relifli  of  what  ihe  was  taught, 

and 


101 

and  made  an  admirable  ufe  of  it 
in  a  time  of  need,  as  you  {hall 
hear  afterwards. 

3.  She  was  a  child  of  great  du- 
tifulnefs  to  her  parents,  and  of  a 
fweet,   humble,  fpiritual  nature, 
and  not  only  the  truth,  but  the 
power  and  eminency  of  religion 
did  fhine  in  her  fo  clearly,  that  flie 
did  not  only  comfort   the  hearts 
of  her  parents,  but  drew  the  ad- 
miration of  all  that  were  witnelTes 
of  God's  works  of  love  upon  her, 
and  may  well   be   propofed   as  a 
pattern  not  only  to  children,  but 
to  perfons  of  riper  years. 

4.  She  continued  in  a  courfe  of 
religious  duties  for  fome  confider- 
able   time,   fo  that  her  life  was 
more  excellent  than   moft  chrift- 
ians,  but  in  her  I  aft  ficknefs  flie 
excelled  herfelf,  and  her  deport- 
ment was  fo  admirable,  that  part- 
ly through  wonder  and  aHoniih- 
ment,  and  partly  through  forrow, 

1  %  many 


IO2 

many  obfervable  things  were  paiT- 
cd  by  without  committing  to  pa- 
per»  which  deferved  to  have  been 
written  in  letters  of  gold  :  But 
take  thefe  which  follow,  as  fome 
of  the  many  which  were  taken 
from  her  dying  lips,  and  fir  ft 
publifhed  by  religious  and  judi- 
cious Chriftians  in  Dutch,  after- 
wards rranflated  into  Scotch,  and 
with  a  little  alteration  of  the  ftyle, 
(for  the  benefit  of  Engliih  chil- 
dren) brought  into  this  form  by 
me. 

5,  In  the.  month  of  Auguft, 
1664,  when  the  peftilence  raged  ib 
much  in  Holland,  this  fweet  child 
was  fmitten,  and  loon  as  me  felt 
herfelf  very  ill,  (he-  was  faid  to 
break  forth  with  abundance  of 
fenfe  and  feeling,  in  thefe  follow- 
ing words  ;  If  Thy  law  were  not 
mv  delight,  I  mould  periih  in  my. 
affliction. 

6. 


6.  Her  father  coming   to  her 
to  encourage  her  in  her  iicknefs, 
iaid  to  her,   be  of  good  comfort 
my  child,  for  the  Lord  will   be 
near  to   thee  and   us,   under  the 
heavy  trial  ;  He  will  not  forfake 
us  though  he  chaften  us.    'Yea, 
Father  (laid  (he)  our  heavenly  fa- 
ther doth  chaften  us  for  our  profit, 
that  we  may  be  partakers  of  his- 
holinefs  :  No  chafliiement^feern- 
eth  for  the  prefent   to   be  joyous 
but  grievous,   yet  afterwards     it 
yieldeth   the  peaceable   fruits  of 
righteoufnefs  to  them   which  are 
exercifed  thereby.     The  Lord   is 
now  chaftening  of  me  upon  this 
fick  bed,  but  I  hope  he  will  blefs 
it  fo  to  me,  as  to  caule  it  to  yield 
to  me  that  bleffed  fruit,  according 
to  the  riches  of  his  mercies,  which 
fail  not. 

7.  After  this,  flie  fpake  to  God 
with  her  eyes  lifted  up  to  heaven^ 
laying,  be  merciful  to  me,  O  fe 

theiv 


ther,  be  merciful  to  me  a  finnerv 
according  to  thy  wor~:. 

8.  Then,    looking    upon  her 
forro w ful  parents,  fhe  faid,   it  is 
faid,   caft  thy  burden  upon    the 
Lord,  and  he  fhall   fuftain  thee, 
and  he  will  never  fuffer  the  right- 
eous  to   be   moved.     Therefore, 
rny  dear  father  and  mother,    caft 
all  your  care  upon  him,  whocauf- 
cs  all  things  to   go  well  that  da 
concern  you. 

9.  Her  mother  faid  unto  her, 
O  my  dear  child,  I  have  r,o  fmall 
comfort  from   the  Lord    in  thee, 
and  the  fniit  of  his  grace,  whereby 
thou  haft  been  fo  much  exercifed 
unto   Godlinefs  in    reading    the 
xvord,  in  prayer  and  gracious  dif- 
courfe  to  the  edification  of  thyfelf 
and  us.     The  Lord  himfelf  Xyho 
gave  thee  to  us,  make  up  this  lofs, 
if  it  be  his  pleafure   to  take  thee 
away  from  us. 

10. 


so.  Dear  mother,  (faid  (lie) 
though  I  leave  you,  and  you  me, 
yet  God  will  never  leave  us  ;  for 
it  is  faid,  can  a  woman  forget  her 
iuckling  child,  that  (lie  ihould 
not  have  companion  on  the  fruit 
of  her  womb,  yet  will  not  I  forget 
thee  :  Behold  I  have  graven  thee 
upon  the  palms  of  my  hands.  O 
comfortable  words,  both  for  mo-, 
thcr  and  children  !  Mark,  dear 
mother  ,  how  fail  the  Lord  keeps 
and  holdeth  his  people,  that  he 
doth  even  grave  them  upon  the 
palms  of  his  hands.  Though  I 
muft  part  with  you,  and  you  with 
me,  yet  blefled  be  God,"  he  will 
never  part  either  irom  you  or  meJ 

ii.     Being  weary  with   much! 
fpcaking,   (he   deiired    to   reft  a« 
while  ;  but  after  a  'little  time  ai| 
wakening  again,  her  father  alked," 
how  it  was  with  her  ?  She  made 
no  direct  anfwer,  but  aflted  what 
day  it  was  ?  her  father  faid,    it 

was 


io6 

\vas  the  Lord's  day?  well  then, 
faid  fhe,  have  you  given  up  my 
name  to  be  remembered  in  the 
publick  prayers  of  the  church  ? 
her  father  told  her  he  had.  1  have 
learnt,  faid  the,  that  the  effectual 
fervent  prayer  of  the  righteous 
availeth  much. 

12.  She  had  a  very  high  efteem 

for  the  faithful  minifters  of  Chrift, 

and  much  defired'  their  company 

where  fhe  was,  but  knowing  the 

haz-ird  that Ti-ch  i  viiu  might  ex~ 

pofe  them  and  the  church  too, fhe 

-would  by  no  means  fuffer  that  the 

inimflers  ftiould  come   near  her 

perfcn,  but  chofe  rather  to  throw 

herfelf  upon  the  arms  pf  the  Lord 

|gnd   to  improve  that   knowledge 

^ihe  had  in  the  world,  and  her  for- 

rlher  experience,  and  the  vifits  of 

private     chriftians,      and     thofe 

•which  the  church  had   appointed 

in  inch  cafes,  to  vifitand  comfort 

the  fick. 


13.  One  of  thofe  which  came 
to  vifir  her,  was  of  very  great  ufe 
to  comfort  her,  and  lift  her  up  in 
fome   meafure  above  the  fear  of 
death. 

14.  Though   young,  (he  was 
very  much  concerned  for  the  in- 
tereft  of  God  and   religion,   for 
gofpel  minifters,  and  for  the  fins 
and  the  decay   of  the    power  of 
Godlinefs  in  her    own  country, 
which    will   further  -appear,   by 
what  may  follow. 

15.  Her  father  coming  into  her 
found  her  in  an  extraordinary  paf- 
fion  of  weeping,  and  aiked   her 
what  was  the   caufe  of  her  great 
forrow  :  She  anfwered,  have  1  not 
caufe  to  weep,  when  I  heard  that 
Domine  de  Wit  was  taken  fick 
this  day  in  his  pulpit, &  went  home 
very   ill  ?   Is   not   this  a  fad  fign 
ot  God's  dilpleafure  to  our  coun- 
try,  when  God   fmitetfr  fuch  a 
faithful  pajtor. 


^16.  She  had  a  high  valuation 
of  God. and  could  (peak  in  David's 
language,  Whom  have  I  in  heav- 
en but  thee,  and  there  is  none  on 
earth  that  I  can  defire  in  compar- 
ifon  of  thee.  She  was  much  lifted 
above  the  fears  of  death  -  what: 
elfe  was  the  meaning  of  fuch  ex- 
preffions  as  thefe  ?  O  how  do  I 
long !  even  as  the  heart  panteth 
after  thee,  O  God,  for  God,  the 
living  God,  when  fha-11  I  come 
and  appear  before  God, 

17.  She  was  a  great  hater  of  fin, 
and  did  with  much  grief  and  felf- 
abhorrence  reflect  upon  it  ;  but 
that  which  lay  moil  upon  her 
heart,  was  the  corruption  of  her 
nature  and  original  fin.  How  oft 
would  fhe  cry  out  in  the  words 
of  the  pfalmiftry,  behold,  I  was 
ihapen  in  iniquity,  and  in  fin  did 
my  mother  conceive  me  :  And  I 
was  altogether  born  in  fin.  She 
sould  never  lay  herfelf  low  e- 
-h  under  a  fenfe  of  that  ori- 
ginal 


109 

original  fin   which    fhe  brought 
with  her  into  the  world. 

1 8.  She    fpake  many  things 
very  judicioufly  of  the  old  man, 
and  putting  it  off,  and  of  the  new 
man,  and  putting  that  on ;  which 
fhewed  that  fhe  was  no  ftranger 
to  converfion,    and    that   fhe  in, 
fome    meafure    underftood    that 
mortification  ,  felf denial,  and  tak- 
ing up  of  her  crofs,  and    follow- 
ing Chrift,  meant.     That  fcrip- 
ture  was  much  in  her  mouth,  the 
facrifices   of  God  are  a  contrite, 
fpirit*  O  God,  thou  wilt  not  def- 
pife.     That  brokennefs  of  heart 
(faid    fhe)    which  is   built  upon, 
and   flows  from  faith,  and   that 
faith  which  is  built  upon  Chrift, 
who  is   the  proper  and  alone  iac- 
rifice  for  iiri.     Thefe  are  her  own 
words. 

19.  Afterwards  (lie  deiired  to 
reft,  and  when  fhe  had  flumbered 
awhile,   fhe    laid,   O  dear  father 
and   mother,  how  weak  do  I  feel 

K  myfelfl 


no 

inyfelf  !  my  dear  child  !  (laid  her 
father)  God  will  in  his  tender 
mercy  ftrengthen  thee  in  thy 
weaknefs.  Yea,  father  (faid  (he) 
that  ifcmy  confidence:  For  it  is 
faid,  the  bruifed  reed  he  will  not 
break,  and  the  fmoaking  flax  he 
will  not  quench. 

20.  Then  the  difcourfed  ex- 
cellently of  the  nature  of   faith, 
and   defired   that   the  eleventh  of 
Hebrews  fhould  be  read  unto  her ; 
at  the  reading  of  which  (he  cried 
out,   O  what" a  ftedfaft  holy  faith 

-was  that  of  Abraham,  which 
"-made  him  willing  to  offer  up  his 
own  fon  !  faith  is  the  f  lib  ft  a  nee 
of  things  hoped  for,  and  the  evi- 
dence of  things  not  feen. 

21.  Her   father  and    mother 
ihe^ring    her  excellent   difcourfe, 
and  feeing  her  admirable  carriage, 
fourft  out  into  abundance  of  tears  : 
upon  which    (lie    pleaded   with 
them  to  be  patient,  and  content 
Avith  the  hand  of  God,     O  (faid 

ihe) 


1IV 

me)  why  do  you  weep  at  this 
rate  over  me,  feeing  I  hope,  you 
have  no  reafon  toqueftion,  but  if 
the  Lord  take  me  out  of  this  mif- 
erable  world,  itfhall  be  well  with 
me  to  all  eternity.  You  ought  ta 
be  well  fatisfied,  feeing  it  is  faid,. 
God  is  in  heaven,  and  doth  what- 
foever  pleafeth  him  :  And  do  not 
you  pray  every  day,  that  the  will 
of  God  may  be  done  upon  earth, 
as  it  is  in  heaven  ?  Now,  father, 
this  is  God's  will  that  I  mould 
lie  upon  this  fickbed,  and  of  this 
difeafe  j  (hall  we  not  be  content 
when  our  prayers  are  anfwered  ? 
would  not  your  extreme  forrow 
te  murmuring  againft  God,  with- 
out whole  good  pleafure.  nothing 
comes  to  pafs.  Altho'  I  amitruck 
with  this  fad  difeafe,  yet  becaufe 
it  is  the  will  of  God3  that  doth  fi- 
Icnce  me,  and  I  will  as  long  as  I 
live  pray  that  God's  will  may  be 
done,  and  not  mine. 

23.  Seeing  her   parent  ftill  very 

much 


IIS 

jnuch  moved,  fhe  further  argued 
ivith  them  from  the  providence 
of  God,  which  had  a  fpecial  hand 
in  every  common  thing,  much 
more  in  the  difpofal  of  the  lives 
of  men  and  women :  Are  not  two 
jfparrows  fold  for  a  farthing,  and 
rot  one  of  them  falls  to  the  ground 
without  our  heavenly  father  ?  yea, 
the  hairs  of  our  head  are  all  num- 
bered :  therefore  fear  not,  you  are 
of  more  value  than  many  fpar- 
rows.  Adverfity  and  profperity 
they  are  both  good.  Some  things 
appear  evil  in  our  eyes,  but  the 
Lord  turns  all  to  the  good  of  them 
\vhich  are  his. 

23.  She  came  then  to  fpeak 
particularly  concerning  the  plague 
Doth  not  (laid  fhe)  the  peftilence 
come  from  God  ?  why  elle  doth 
the  fcripmre  lay,  fhall  their  be 
evil  in  the  city  which  I  have  not 
fent  ?  what  do  thofe  people  mean, 
which  fay,  the  peftilence  comes 
from  the  air,  and  are  not  the  ele- 

me  nts 


ments  under  his  government  ?  Or 
if  they  fay,  it  comes  trom  the 
earth,  hath  he  not  the  fame' 
power  and  influence  upon  that 
too  ?  why  talk  they  of  a  fhip 
that  came  from' Africa  j  have  we 
not  read  long  ago  together,  out  of 
Lev.  26.  25.  i  ihall  bring  a  (word 
upon  you,  and  evenge  the  quarrel 
of  my  covenant;  and  when  you 
are  auembled  in  the  cities,  then 
will  i  bring  the  peftilence  in  the 
ill  id  ft  of  you. 

24.  After  this,  having  taken 
fome  little  reft,  (he  fail,  O  now 
is  the  day  for  opening  of  the  firft 
queltion  of  the  catechifm,  and  if 
we  were  there,  we  ihould  hear, 
that  whether  in  death  or  lite,  a 
believer  is  (Thrift's  who  hath  re- 
deemed us  by  his  own  precious 
blood  from  the  power  of  the 
devil :  And  then  Hie  quoted,  Rom. 
14.  7.  8.  For  none  of  us  liver h 
unto  himfelf,  and  none  of  us  di- 
cth  unto  himfelf.  For  whethef 
K  3  wr 


we  live,  we  live  unto  the  Lord, 
and  whether  we  die,  we  die  unto 
the  Lord ;  whether  then  we  live 
or  die,  we  are  the  Lord's.  Then 
be  comforted,  for  whether  I  live 
or  die,  I  am  the  Lord's.  O  why 
do  you  afflid:  yourfelves  thus  !but 
what  fhall  I  fay  ?  with  weeping  I 
came  into  .the  wrorld,  and  with 
•weeping  I  muft  go  out  again.  O 
my  dear  parents,  better  is  the  day 
of  my  death,  than  the  day  of  my 
birth. 

25.  When  flie  had  thus   en- 
couraged her  father  and  mother, 
fhe    defired    her   father  to   pray 
with  her,  and  to  requeft  of  the 
Lord  that  fhe  might  have  a  qui- 
et and  peaceable  paffage  into  an- 
other world. 

26.  After  her  father  had  pray- 
ed for  her,  he  alked  her,  whether 
he  fhould  fend  for  the  phyfician  ; 
fhe  anfwered,  by  no  means,  for  I 
am  now  beyond  the   help  of  doc- 
tors.    But  faid  he,  my  child,  we 

are 


are  to  ufe  the  ordinary  means  ap- 
pointed by  the  Lord  for  our  help, 
as  long  as  we  live,  and  let  the 
Lord  do  as  feemeth  good  in  his 
eyes.  But,  faid  (he,  give  me  the 
heavenly  phyfician  ;  he  is  the  only 
helper.  Doth  not  he  fay,  come 
unto  me  all  ye  that  are  weary  and 
heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
reft :  And  doth  not  he  bid  us  call 
upon  him  in  the  day  ofdiftrefs, 
and  he  will  deliver  us,  and  we 
fhall  glorify  him  :  There  fore,  dear 
father,  call  upon  him  yet  again 
for  me. 

27.  About  this  time  a  chrift- 
ian  friend  came  in  to  vifit  her, 
xvho  was  not  a  little  comforted 
when  he  heard  and  favv  fo  much 
of  the  grace  of  God  living  in  a 
poor  young  thing  which  could 
not  but  fo  far  affe6t  him  as  to 
draw  tears  of  joy  and  admiration 
from  him,  and  her  deportment 
was  fo  teaching,  that  he  could  not 
but  acknowledge  himfelf  greatly 

edified 


edified  and  improved1  by  her  car- 
riage and  language. 

28.  She  fpoke  this  with  a  dy- 
ing voice,  but  full  of  fpirit,  and 
of  the  power  of  faith. 

29.  Her  lively  affurance    fhe 
further  uttered  in  the   words  of 
the    Apoftle,    We    know   that   if 
this  earthly  houfe  of  our  taberna- 
cle  be     diffolved,    we   have    one 
which  is  built  of  God,  which  is 
eternal    in    the   heavens  ;    for   in 
this,  we  figh  for  our  hou.-o  which 
is   in.    heaven,   that   we   may  be 
c  1  o  at  tied  t  he  re  with. 

30.  There  father,  you  fee  that 
my  body  is  this  tabernacle,  wrhich 
now  ihall  be  broken  down  :  rny 
foul  ihal  now  part  from  it,  and 
ihall  be  taken  up  into  that  heav- 
enly paradife.,  into  that  heavenly 
Jerufalem.     There  i'liail    1   dwell 
and  go  no  more  cut,  but  fit    an.1 
fing.      Holy,  holy,  holy,    is    the 
Lord  God  of  Hofts,  the  Lord  of 
Sabbath !    Her  laft   \vords    were 

thefe  : 


thefe  :  O  Lord  God,  into  thv 
hands  I  commit  my  fpirit,  0 
Lord  be  gracious,  be  merciful  to 
me  a  poor  finner. 

And  here  llie  fell  afleep. 
39.  She  died  the  firft  of  Sep- 
tember, 1664,  betwixt  feven  and 
eight  in  the  evening !  in  the  four- 
teenth year  of  her  age  ;  having 
obtained  that  which  (he  fo  oft 
intreated  of  the  Lord,  a  quiet  and 
eafy  departure,  and  the  end  of  her 
faith,  the  falvation  of  her  foul. 


EXAMPLE    XII. 

Of  the  excellent  carriage  of  a  child 
upon  his  death  be  di  when  but  Jev* 
en  years  old. 

i.  JACOB  Bicks,   the  brother 
J  of  Sufannah  Bicks,  was  born 
in  Leiden,  in  the  year  1657  ;  and 
had  religious  education,  under  his 
godly    parents,    the    which    the 
Lord  was  pleafed  tofanCtify  to  his 
conversion,  and  by  it  lay  in  excel- 
lent 


lent  provifions  to  live  upon  in  an 
hour  of  diftrefs. 

2.  This  fweet  little  child  was 
vifited  of  the  Lord  of  a  very  fore 
ficknefs,upon  the  fixth  of  Auguit 
1664,  three  or  four  weeks  before 
his  fifter,  of  whole  life  and  death, 
we  have  given  you  fome  account 
already  :     In    this   diftemper   he 
was  for  the  moftpart  very  fleepy 
and   drowfy,    till  near   his  death, 
but  when  he  did  awake,  he  was 
wont  ftill  to  fall  at  praying. 

3.  Once  when  his  parents  had 
pr^'-ed  with  him,  they  afked  him 
iftheyfhould  once  more  fend  for 
the  phyfician  ;  no  (laid  he)  I  will 
have    the    doctor   no   more ;    the 
Lord  will  help  me  ;  I  know  he 
will  take  me  to  himfelf,  and  then 
he  fhall  help  ail. 

4.  Ah,  my  dear  child,  faid  his 
father,  that  grieveth    my  heart ; 
well,  (faid  the  child)  father  let  us 
pray,  and  the  Lord  fhalj  be  ne& 
for  my  helper. 

.5.  When 


^.  When  his  parents  had  pray- 
ed with  him  again,  he  faid,  come 
now  my  dear  father  and  mother 
and  kits  me,  I  know  that  I  {hall 
die. 

6.  Farewell   dear   father  and 
mother.  Farewell  dear  fifler,  fare- 
well all.    Now7  fhall  i  go  to  heav- 
en unto  God  and   Jefus  Chrifl, 
and   the    holy    angels :     Father, 
know  you  not  what   is  faid  by 
Jeremiah  ;  blefled  is  he  who  trufls 

in  the  Lord.  Now  I.  trull  in 
him,  and  he  will  blefs  me.  And 
in  i  Joh.  2.  it  is  faid,  little  chil- 
dren, love  not  the  world,  for  the 
world  paffeth  away. 

7.  Away  then  all  that  is  in  the 
world,   away  with  all  my  plcaf- 
ant  things  in  the  world  :   Away 
with  my  dagger,  for  where  I  go, 
there  is  nothing  to  do  with  dag- 
gers and  f words  :   Men  fhall  not 

•  fight  there,  but  praife  God.  A- 
way  with  all  my  books  ;  there 
iliall  I  know  fufficiently,  and  be 

learned, 


12O 

learned  in  all  things  of  true  wif- 
dom,  without  books. 

8.  His   father  being  touched 
to  hear  his  child  fpeak  ar  this  rate, 
could  not   well  tell  what  to  fay  ; 
but  my  dear  child,  the  Lord  will 
be  near  thee,  and  uphold  thee. 

9.  Yea,  father   (faid  he)  the 
apoftle  Peter  faith,  God  refifteth 
the  proud,  but  he  giveth  grace  to 
the  humble.    I  {hall  humble  my- 
felf  under  the    mighty    hand  of 
God,  and  he  will  help  and  lift  me 
up. 

10.  O  my  dear  child,  faid  his 
father,  haft  thou  fo  ftrong  a  faith  ? 

11.  Yes,   faid  the  child,  God 
hath  given  me  fo  ftrong  a  faith 
upon  himfelf  through  JefusChrift, 
that  the  Devil  himfelf  fhall  flee 
from  me,  for  it  is  faid,  he  that 
believeth   in  the    Son  hath  ever- 
lifting  life,  and  he  hath  overcome 
the  wicked  one.     Now  I  believe 
in  Jefus  Chrift  my  redeemer,  and 

he 


, 


124 


lie  will  not  leave  or  forfake  me^ 
but  fhall  give  unto  me  eternal  life, 
and  then  (hall  I  (ing,  holy,  holy, 
holy,  is  the  Lord  of  Sabbath. 

12.  Then  with  a  fhort  word 
of  prayer,  Lord  be  merciful  to 
me  a  poor  finner,  he  quietly 
breathed  out  his  foul,  and  fweetly 
ilept  in  Jefus,  when  he  was  about 
feven  years  old.  He  died  Auguft 
the  8th,  1664. 
*&K2s&^^ 

EXAMPLE  XIII. 

Of  one  w£o  began  to  look  towards 
heaven,  ivken  be  was  very  voung, 
with  many  eminent  faff  ages  of 
his  life,  and  his  joyful  death, 
when  he  was  eleven  years  and 
three  quarters  old. 

j.     TOHN  Harvey  was  born  in 
J      London,  in  theycar  1654. 
His  father  was  a  Dutch  merchant. 
He  was  pioufly  educated  under  his 
u*  mother  ;  and  foon  began 
L  te- 


122 

to  lack  in  divine  things  with  no 
fmall  delight. 

2.  The  firft  thing  very  obferv- 
able    in  him  was,  that  when  he 
was  two  years  and  eight   months 
old,  he  could  fpeak:   as   well  as 
other  children  do  ufually  at  five 
years  old. 

3.  His  parents  judging  that  he 
\vas  then  a  little  too  young   to 
fend  put  to  fchool,  1st  him  have 
his  liberty  to  play  a  little  about 
their  yard.     But  inftead  of  play- 
ing, he  found  out  a  fchool  of  his 
own  accord  hard  by  home,    and 
went  to  the  fchool  miftrefs,    and 
intreated  her  to  teach  hiivi  to  read, 
and   fo   went  for   fome    time   to 
fchool  without  the  knowledge  of 
his    parents,   and    maae    a    very 
ftrange  progrefs  in  his  learning, 
and  was  able  to   rer.d  diftinclly, 
before  mod  children  are  able  to 
know  their  letters.          , 

4.     He  was  ivpnt  to  alk   many 
ferious  and    weighty  queltions, 

about 


__ 

about  matters  which  concerned 
his  foul  and  eternity. 

5.  Hi&  mother  being   greatly 
troubled  upon  the  death  of    one 

'MS  uncles,  this  child  came  to 
^ther,  and  iaid,  "*  rr:ot5uT, 
thoiu  '  uncle  be  dead,    doth 

not  the  fcj  pture  fay,  he  mu ft  rife 
again  :  Yea,  and  I  muft  die,  and 
io  muft  every  body;  and  it  will 
not  be  long  before  Chrifl  will 
e  to  judge  the  world  ;  and 
lien  we  (hall  fee  one  another  a- 
gain,  I  pray  mother  do  not  weep 
io  much."  This  grave  counfel 
he  gave  his  mother,  when  he  was 
not  quite  five  years  old,  by  which 
her  icrrcvv  for  her  brother  was 
turned  into  admiration  at  her 
child,  and  ihe  was  made  to  fit 
iilenr  ana  quiet  under  that  fmart- 
ing  ftioke. 

6.  After  this,  his    parents  re- 
moved to  Aberdeen  in  Scotland, 
and  iettled  their   children    under 
an  able  and  painful  fchoolmafter 

there,  ^ 


there,  whofe  cudom  \vas  upon 
the  Lord's  day  in  the  morning, 
to  examine  his  fcholars  concern- 
ing the  fermons  that  they  had 
heard  the  former  Lord's  day,  and 
to  add  (bine  other  queftions  which 
might  try  the  understanding  and 
knowledge  of  his  fcholars  ;  the 
queftion  that  was  once  propofed 
to  his  form  was,  whether  God 
had  a  mother  ?  none  of  all  the 
Scholars  could  anfwer  it,  till  it 
came  to  John  Harvy,  who  being 
alked  whether  God  had  a  moth- 
er ?.  Anfwered,no,ashe  was  God, 
he  could  not  have  a  mother  ; 
but  as  he  was  man  he  had.  This 
was  before  he  was  quite  fix  years 
old.  His  matter  was  fomewhat 
amazed  at  the  child's  anfwer,  and 
took  the  firil  opportunity  to  go  to 
his  mother,  to  thank  her  for  in- 
jftructing  herfon  fo  well  ;  but  fhe 
replied,  that  he  was  never  taught 
that  from  her,  but  that  he  under- 
ftood  it  by  reading,  and  his  own 

'.-  He 


7.  He  was  a  child  that   was 
e-xtraordinary  inquifitivei  and  full 
of  good  queftions,  and  very  care- 
ful to  obferveand  remember  what 
he  lit 

8.  He  had  a  great  hatred    of* 
whatfoever  he    ki.ew    to   be    dii% 
pleating  to  God,  and  wuc  lo  great- 
ly concerned  fcr  the    honour   of 
God,  that  he  would  fake  on  bit- 
terly if  any  grofs  fins  were  com- 
mitted before  him.      And  he  had 
a  deep  fenfe  of  the  worth  of  fouls, 
and  was  not  a  little  grieved  when 
he  faw  any    do    that    which    he 
knew   was    dangerous     to     their 
fouls. 

9.  One  day  feeing  one  of  his 
near  relations  come   into  his   fa- 
ther's    houie    diftempered    with 
drink,  as  lie  thought,  he   quickly 
went  very  feriouily  to   him,    and 
wept  over  him,  that  he  fhould  fo 
offend  God,  and  hazard  hi»s  Soul, 
and  begged  of  him  to  ipend  his 
time  better  than  in  drinking  and 

L,  %  gaming  ; 


126 

gaming  ;  and  this  he  did,  witln 
out  any  inftrudtion  from  his  pa- 
rents, but  from  an  inward  princi- 
ple of  grace,  and  love  to  God  and 
fouls,  as  it  is  verily  believed. 

10.  When  he  was  at  play  with 
other  children,  he  would  be  often- 
times putting  in  fome  word  to 
keep  them  from  naughty  talk  or 
wicked  actions  ;  and  if  any  did 
take  the  Lord's  name  in  vain,  or 
do  any  thing  that  was  not  becom-  ' 
ing  of  a  child,  they  ftiould  foon 
hear  of  it  with  a  witnefs  •  nay, 
once  hearing  a  boy  fpeak  very 
prophanely,  and  that  after  two  or 
three  admonitions,  he  would  not 
forbear,  nor  go  out  of  his  compa- 
ny neither,  he  was  fo  tranfportecl 
with  zeal,  that  he  could  not  for- 
bear falling  upon  him  to  beat  him, 
but  his  mother  chiding  him  for  it, 
he  faid,  that  he  could  not  endure 
to  hear  the  name  of  God  fo  abuf- 
cd  by  a  wretched  boy. 

This  is  obferved  not  to  vindi- 
cate 


cate  the  ad,  but  to  take  notice  of 
his  zeal. 

11.  He  was  a  child  ^hat  took 
great   delight  in  the  company  of 
good  men,  and  efpeeially  mmif- 
ters  and  fcholars  ;  ar>d  if  he  had 
any  leifure  time,  he  would  im- 
prove it  by  vifuing  of  fuch,  vvhofe 
difcourfe  might   make  him  vvifer 
and  better  ;  and  when  he  was  in 
their  fociety,  to  be  fure,  his  talk 
was  more  like  a  chriftian  and  fcho- 
lar  than  a  child. 

12.  One  day  after  fchool  time 
was  over,  he  gave  Mr.  Andrew 
Kent  (one  of  the  miniilers  of  A- 
berdeen)  a  vifit,  and  afl^ed  him 
feveral  folid  queilions,but  the  good 
man   aflced  him    iome   queftipns 
out  of  his  catechifm,  and  finding 
him  not  fo  ready  in  the  anfwers 
as  he  fhould  have  been,  did  a  little 
reprove  him,  and  told  him,  that 
he  mult  be  fure  to  get  his  cate- 
chifm perfe&ly  by  heart.:    The 
child  took  the  reproof  very  well, 

and 


and  went  home,  and  fell  very  hot 
upon  his  catechifm,  and  never 
left,  tell  he  had  got  it  by  heart  ; 
and  not  only  fo,  but  he  would  be 
enquiring  into  the  fenfe  and  mean- 
ing of  it. 

13.  He  was   fo  greatly  taken 
with  his  catechifm,  that  he  was 
not  content  to  learn  it  himfelf,  but 
he  would  be  putting  others  upon 
learning  their  catechifm,  efpecial- 
ly  thofe  that  were  neareft  him  ; 
he  could   not  be  fatisfied,  till  he 
had  perfuaded  his  mother's  maids 
to  learn  it ;  and  when  they    were 
at  work,  he  would  be  ftill  follow- 
ing them  with  fome  good  queft- 
ion  or  other  :    fo  that  the  child 
feemed  to  be  taken  up  with  the 
thoughts  of  his  foul,  and  God's 
honour,  and  the  good   of  other 
fouls. 

14.  He   tvas   a   confcientious 
obferver,  of  the  Lord's  day,  fpend- 
ing  all  the  time  either  jn  fecret 
prayer,  or  reading  the  fcriptures, 

and 


129 

and  good  books ;  learning  the 
word  of  God,  and  publick  duties  ; 
and  was  not  only  careful  in  the 
performance  of  the  duties  himielf, 
hut  was  ready  to  put  all  that  he 
knew  upon  a  ftri£t  observation  of 
the  Lords  day,  and  was  exceed- 
ingly grieved  at  the  prophanation 
of  it.  One  Lord's  day,  a  feryant 
of  his  father's  going  out  of  the 
houfe  upon  extraordinary  occa- 
lions,  to  fetch  forre  beer,  he  took 
on  fo  bitterly,  that  ue  could  fcarce 
be  pacified  because  that  holy  day 
was  io  abufed  (as  he  judged)  in 
his  father's  houfe. 

15.  When  he  was  between  fix 
and  feven  years  old  ;  it  pleafed 
God  to  afflict  him  with  fore  eyes, 
which  was  no  fmall  grief  to  him, 
becaufe  it  kept  him  from  fchooi, 
which  he  loved  as  well  as  many 
boys  do  their  play  :  and  that 
which  was  worfe,  he  was  com- 
manded by  the  doctor  not  to  read 
any  book  whatfoever  at  home.— 

But, 


But,  O  how  was  this  poor  child 
grieved,  that  he  might  not  have 
liberty  to  read  the  holy  fcriptures  ; 
and  for  all  their  charge,  he  would 
get  by  himfelf,  and  Hand  by  the 
window,  and  read  the  bible  and 
good  books  ;  yea,  he  was  (o  gree- 
dy of  reading  the  fcriptures,  and 
took  fo  much  delight  in  them, 
that  he  would  fcarce  allow  time 
to  drefs  himfelf;  for  reading  the 
word  of  God  was  his  great  de- 
light. Yea,  though  he  had  been 
beat  for  ftudying  fo  much,  yet 
judging  it  God's  command,  that 
he  ftiould  give  himfelf  up  to  read- 
ing, he  could  not  be  beat  off  from 
it,  till  he  was  fo  bad,  that  he  had 
like  never  to  have  recovered  his 
light  more, 

10.  It  was  his  practice  to  be 
much  by  himfelf  in  fe'crtt  prayer, 
and  he  was  careful'  tt>  manage 
that  work,  fo  as  that  it  might  be 
as  fecret  as  poffibly  it  could  be, 
but  his  frequency  and  conftancy 

made 


it   to  be  eafily  obiervcd  j 
t     on  which,  a  perfon  having  a 
t  mind  to  know   what    this 
'iwee-  babe  prayed  for,  got  into  a 
plac^  rear   him,  and   heard  him 
vy    earneftly    praying  for  the 
arch  of  God,  defiring  that  the 
kingdom  of  the  gofpel  might  be 
fpread  over  the  whole  world,  and 
that  the  kingdom  of  grace  might 
more  and   more  come  into  the 
hearts  of  God's  people,  and  that 
the  kingdom  of  glory  might  be 
haftened.     He  was  wont  to  con- 
tinue half  an  hour,  fometimes  an 
hour  together  upon  his  knees. 

17.  He  was  much  above  the 
vanities  that   moft    children  are 
taken  with,  and  was  indeed  too 
much  a  man  to  live  long,* 

1 8.  He  was  very  humble  and 
modeft,  and  did  by  no  means  af- 
fcdt  finencfs  in  apparel,  but  hated 
any  thing  more  tfean  neceffaries, 
either  in  cloaths  or  diet. 

19.  When  he  perceived  either 

his 


132 

his  brother  or  fitters  pleafed  with 
their  new  cloaths,  he  would  with 
a  great  deal  of  gravity  reprove 
their  folly  ;  and  when  his  reproof 
fignified  little,  he  would  bewail 
their  vanity. 

20.  Once  he  had  a  new  fuit 
brought  from  the  taylors,  which 
when  he  looked  on,  he  found 
fome  ribbons  at  the  knees,  at 
which  he  was  grieved  ;  afking 
his  mother,  whether  thofe  things 
would  keep  him  warm  ?  No, 
child,  faid  his  mother  ;  why  then 
((aid  he)  do  you  fuffer  them  to 
be  put  here;  you  are  miftaken, 
if  you  think  fuch  things  pleafe 
me  ;  and  1  doubt  fome  that  are 
better  than  us,  may  want  the 
money  that  this  coft  you,  to  buy 
them  bread. 

21.  His  mother  afked  him, 
whether  he  was  willing  to  die, 
and  leave  her?  He  anfwered,  Yes, 
I  am  willing  to  leave  you,  and  go 
to  my  heavenly  father.  His 

mother 


mother  anfwered,  Child,  if  thou 
hadft  but  an  affurance  of  God's 
love,  I  ftiould  not  be  fo  much 
troubled. 

22.  He  anfwered,  and  faid  to 
his    mother,    I   am  allured,  dear 
mother,  that  my  fins  are  forgiv- 
en, and  that  I  fhall  go  to  heaven  ; 
for,  faid  he,  here  flood  an  angel 
by  me,   that  told   me,   I   fliould 
quickly  be  in  glory. 

23.  At  this  his   mother  burft 
forth  into  tears.     O,  mother,  faid 
he,  did  youbtit  know  what  joy  I 
feel,  you  would  not  weep,  but  re- 
joice.     I  tell  you  I  am  fo  full  of 
comfort,  that  I  can  not  tell  you 
how  I  am  ;  O  mother,  I  fhall  pre- 
fently  have  my  head  in  my  fath- 
er^ boforri,   and  mail  be  there, 
\vhere  the  four  and  twenty  elders 
fhall  c£ft  dovvn  their  crowns,  and 
ling  hallelujah,   glory  and  praife, 
to  him  that  fits  upon  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  lamb  forever. 

*4- 
M 


*  34 

24.  Upon  this,  his  fpeech  be- 
gan to  fail  him,  but  his  foul  feem- 
cd  flill  to  be  taken  up  with  glory, 
and     nothing  now   grieved  him 
but  the  forrow  that  he   faw  his 
mother  to  be  in  for  his  death  ;  a 
little  to  divert  his  mother,  he  afk- 
ed  her,  what  me  had  for  flipper 
but  prefently  in  a  kind  of  divine 
rapture,    he  cried    out,    O    what 
fweet  fupper  have  I  making  ready 
for  me  in  glory  ! 

25.  But  feeing  this  rather  in- 
creafe,   than    allay  his   mother's 
grief,  he  was  more  troubled,  and 
aiked  her  what  (lie  meant,  thus  to 
offend  God  ;  know  you  not,  that 
it  is  the  hand  of  the  almighty. 
Humble  yourfelf  under  the  migh- 
ty hand   of  God.     Lay   yourfelf 
in  the  dull,  and  kifs  the  rod  of 
God,, and  let  me  fee  you  do  it,  in 
token  of  your  fubmiflipn  to  the 
will  of  God,  and  bow  before  him. 
Upoa  which,  raifing  himfelf  a  lit- 
tle, 


ML 

tie,  he  gave  a  lowly  bow,  ancl 
fpoke  no  more,  but  went  chcar- 
iully  and  triumphingly  to  reft,  in. 
the  bofom  of  Jefus. 


A  narrative  of fandry  remarkable 
paffages  concerning  Mr.  ^jcbn 
Lang  bam,  fon  of  -Sir  James 
Langham^  knight  and  baronet. 

By  THOMAS  BURROUGHS,  B.  D. 

THIS  fweet  child  was;  five 
years  and  an  half  old  with- 
in  two  or  three  days  ; :  when  God 
took  him  :  But  he  had  arrived  to 
that  in  five  years,  arid  a  little 
more,  that  fome  (I  am  afraid] 
have  not  arrived  to  in  ten  time.§ 
the  fence.  * 

He 
*  Be  died  July  29,  1659.    ; 


He  had  learnt  the  aflemblies 
fhorter  catechifm  through,  and 
began  to  learn  it  over  again,  with 
the  proofs  out  of  the  fcriptures  at 
large,  wherein  he  had  made  fome 
progrefs. 

He  met  one  day  (in  a  gentle- 
woman's chamber,  who  lives  in 
the  houfe)  with  a  book  that  treat- 
ed of  the  paffion  of  Chrift,  and 
reading  a  little  in  it,  faid  he  liked 
the  book  well,  and  that  he  would 
read  it  over.  So  he  began  and 
read  fome  few  pages,  then  turned 
the  leaf  down,  and  the  next  day 
came  again  and  began  where  he 
left,  and  fo  from  day  to  day,  till 
he  had  read  a  confiderable  part  of 
it. 

He  was  a  very  dutiful  child  to 
his  parents,  and  would  exceeding- 
ly rejoice,  when  he  had  done  any 
thing,  or  carried  himfelf  fo,  as  to 
pleafe  them, 


!  37 

He  was  taken  with  the  book 
called,  the  practice  of  piety,   and, 
delighted  to  be  reading  in  it. 

His  father  fpeaking  to  him  one 
day  about  the  devil  and  hell,  and 
things  of  that  nature,  afked  him, 
If  he  were  not  afraid  to  be  alone  ? 
he  anfwered,  no  :  For  God  would 
defend  him.  His  father  alked, 
why  he  thought  fo  ?  he  replied, 
that  he  loved  God,  and  that  he 
hoped  that  God  loved  him.  But 
(faith  his  father)  you  have  been  a 
linner,  and  God  loves  not  finners. 
But  1  am  lorry  for  my  fins  (faith  ' 
he)  and  do  repent.  Repent  (re- 
plied his  father)  do  you  know 
what  repentance  means,  and  what 
belongs  to  it  ?  And  he  gave  hi  ma 
good  account  of  rhe  apprehenfiort 
he  had  of  the  nature  of  that  grace, 
according  to  what  he  had  learned 
in  his  catcchifm,  but  yet  in  his 
6wn  words  and  expreffions. 

He 


He  would  oft  afk  his  fifter 
(who  was  fomewhat  younger 
than  himfelf)  whether  (he  trufted 
in  God,  and  loved  God  ?  and 
would  tell  her,  that,  If  fhe  fought 
God,  God  would  be  found  of  her ; 
but  if  (he  forfook  God,  God 
would  cad  her  off  forever. 

He  took  that  delight  in  his 
book,  that  his  father  and  mo'ther 
have  feen  caufe  fometimes  to  hide 
away  his  book  from  him. 

He  was  never  obferved  to  dif- 
cover  any  pouting  or  difcontent, 
when  upon  any  occafion  he  was 
cprre&ed.  And  you  muft  not 
think  lam  telling  you  the  Story  of 
one,  in  whom  Adam  (as.  they 
feign  of  bonaventure)  never  (in^ 
ned.  There  is  that  fooli(hnefs 
bound  up  in  all  children's  hearts, 
that  will  fometimes  need  the  rod 
of  correction  j  though  there  be 
very  few  in  whom  there  appeared 
lefs  than  in  him. 

The 


*39 

The  day  before  he  died,  he  de- 
fired  me  to  pray  for  him  :  I  told 
him,  If  he  would  have  me  to  pray 
for  him,  he  muft  tell  me,  what  I 
fhould  pray  for  ;  and  what  he 
would  have  God  to  do  for  him  ! 
he  anfwered,  to  pardon  his  fins. 

Oft  upon  his  nek  bed  he  would 
be  repeating  to  himfelf  the  551(1 
chapter  of  Ffaiah,  and  other  pieces 
of  fcripture,  which  in  the  time  of 
his  health  he  had,  learned  by 
heart. 

But  that  pafTagein  the  foremen- 
tioned  chapter  was  m oft  frequent- 
ly in  hjs  mouth,  and  uttered  by 
him  with  much  affedlion  V  My 
thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts, 
neither  are  my  ways  your  ways, 
faith  the  Lord  :  For  as  the  heav- 
ens are  higher  than  the  earth,  fo 
are  my  ways  and  my  thoughts 
/  than  your  thoughts  :  As  if  God 
(out  of  this  fvveet  babe's  mouth) 
had,  in  thefe  words,  read  to  hif 

parenti 


140 

parents  lectures  of  filence  and  fub- 
xniiTion  under  his  hand ;  and 
taught  them  that  hemuftbe  dealt 
with  and  difpofed  of,  not  as  they, 
but  as  his  heavenly  father  (whole 
thoughts  were  far  different) 
Ihould  fee  fitting. 

One  time  he  broke  out  into  this 
cxpreffion  ;  my  God,  my  God, 
deliver  me  out  of  this  mifery,  and 
from  the  pains  of  hell  forever. 

A  little  before  his  de-?th  he 
broke  out  into  thefe  words  ;  My 
iins  pardon,  my  foul  lave,  for 
Chrift  his  lake. 

I  cannot  blame  thofe  worthy 
perfons  io  nearly  related  to  him, 
though  they  mourn  at  parting 
with  fuch  a  fweet  and  hopeful 
child  j  any  more  than  I  could 
blame  them  for  feeling  pain,  if 
one  of  their  limbs  were  torn  from 
another.  Only  they  muft  not 
mourn  to  defpondency. 

What 


HI 

What  an  inftrurnent  of  God's 
glory  might  he  have  proved  ? 
What  a  deal  of  fervice  might  he 
have  done  for  God  (in  all  likeli- 
hood) had  he  lived  to  old  Age  ? 
But  it  was  God's  doing. 


142 


A 

T    O    K  *E    N 

FOR       T    H    B 

CHILDREN 

O    F 

NEWENGLAND. 


IF  the  children  of  Newengland 
'with  an  early  piety,  fet  them- 
felves  to  know  and  ferVe  the  Lord 
Jefus  Chrift,  the  God  of  theic 
fathers,  they  will  be  condemned, 
not  only  by  the  examples  of  pious 
children  in  other  parts  of  the 
\vorld,  the  publiihed  and  printed 
accounts  whereof  have  been 
brought  over  hither  ;  .but  there 
have  been  exemplary  children  in 
the  midft  of  Newengland  i'tfelf,- 

!  that  fc 


that  will  rife  up  againft  them  for 
their  condemnation.  It  would  be 
a  very  profitable  thing  to  our 
children,  and  highly  acceptable 
to  all  the  godly  parents  of  the 
children,  if,  in  imitation  of  the 
excellent  Janeway's  token  for 
children,  there  were  made  a  true 
collection  of  notable  things,  ex- 
emplified in  the  lives  and  deaths 
of  many  among  us,  whofe  child- 
hood hath  been  fignalized  for 
what  is  virtuous  and  laudable. 

In  the  church  hiftory  of  N  ew- 
engfond  is  to  be  found  the  lives 
of  many  eminent  perforrs,  among 
whofe  eminencies,  not  the  leal? 
was,  their  fearing  of  the  Lord 
from  their  youth,  and  their  being 
loved  by  the  lord  when  they  were 
children. 

But  among  the  many  other  in* 
ftances,  of  a  childhood  and  youth 
delivered  from  vanity  by  ferious 
religion,  which  Newengland  has 
afforded,  thefe  few  have  particu- 
larly been  preferved . 


EXAMPLE    I. 

LITTLE  more  than  thirteen 
was  John  Clap  of  Scituate, 
when  he  died;  but  it  might  very 
truly  be  faid  of  him,  that  while 
he  was  yet  young,  he  began  to 
feek  after  the  God  of  his  father* 
From  his  infancy  he  difcovered  a 
fingular  delight  in  the  holy  fcrip-* 
tures,  whereby  he  was  made -wife 
unto  falvation  ;  and  alfo  made 
himfelf  yet  further  amiable  by 
his  obedience  to  his  parents,  and 
his  courtefy  to  all  his  neighbours. 
As  he  grew  up,  he  fignalized  his 
concern  for  eternity,  not  only  by 
his- diligent  attendance  upon  both 
publick  and  private  catechifm, 
but  alfo  by  the  like  attendance  on 
the  miniffry  of  the  word,  which 
he  would  ponder  and  apply,  and 
confer  about  with  much  difcre- 
L  tiotx 


tion  of  foul,  and  pray  for  the  good 
effect  thereof  upon  his  own  foul; 
Yea,  'twas  even  from  his  child- 
hood obiervable  in  him,  that  ever 
after  he  began  to  fpeak  reafonably, 
he  would  both  affectionately  re- 
gard the  family  prayers,  and  like- 
wife,  both  morning  and  evening, 
with  a  moft  unwearied  conftancy 
recommend  himfelf  by  his  own 
prayers  unto  the  mercies  of  God. 
Arriving  higher  into  his  age, 
he  was  very  confcientious  of  his 
duty  both  to  God  and  man  ;  nnd' 
particularly  careful'of  his  father's 
bufinefs,  which  now  became  his. 
own  calling,  At  work  with  his 
father  in  the  field,  he  would  fre- 
quently be  propounding  of  quef- 
tions,  by  the  anfwers  of  which  he 
might  be  promoted  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  God;  and  at  the  ieafons 
which  others  ufually  employ  to 
vain  purpofes,  he  would  be  a- 
bounding  ia  the  exercifes  of  de- 
votion. 


'47 

votion.  But  of  all  the  imitative 
things  to  be  ieen  in  him,  he  was 
exemplary  for  nothing  more  than 
his  endeavours  in  preparation  for, 
and  falsification  of,  the  Lord's 
day.  Yea,  his  parents  have  af- 
firmed, that  for  a  year  or  two  he- 
fore  he  died,  they  never  heard  an 
i-  unprofitable  word  come  out  of  his 
mouth  ;  but  he  would  often  be- 
wail the  idle  difcourfes  of  others. 
About  a  year  and  an  half  before 
he  died, the  good  fpirrt  of  God 
blcfTed  him,  with  yet  a  more  tho- 
rough convi&ion  of  his  mifery 
by  reafon  of  fin 'both  original  and 
a&ual  :  Whence,  though  he  had 
been  fuch  a  pattern  of  innocency, 
yet  he  would  aggravate  his  own 
finfulnefs,  with  lamentations  tru- 
ly extraordinary,  and  for  his  re- 
lief againft  the  terrors  of  God, 
wherewith  he  was  now  cl  if  traded, 
li£  was  brought  unto  an  utter  dif- 
pair  of  his  own  righteoufnefs  and 
abilities  ; 


abilities  ;  but  in  this  condition, 
lie  came  to  adore  the  grace  of  God 
offering  a  Jti'us  who  is  able  to  fave 
unto  the  uttermoft  :  In  his  long- 
ings to  enjoy  the  love  of  God, 
through  Jefus,  he  was  like  the 
hart  after  water  brooks  ! 

The  wounds  of  his  fpirit  were 
accompanied  with  a  languiihing 
and  confuming  of  his  flelh  ;  yet 
with  great  patience  he  endured 
the  hand  of  God,  and  he  followed 
the  Lord  with  prayers,  with  cries, 
with  teais  for  the  manifeflationof 
the  divine  love  unto  him. 

It  was  alfo  obferv.ed  &  admired, 
tbat  when  he  was  abroad  at  the 
public  worfhip,  in  the  time  of  his 
\veaknefs,  he  would  fland  the 
\vhole  time  of  the  long  exercife, 
and  be  fo  affectionately  attentive, 
that  one  might  fee  every  fentence 
uttered  in  thpfe  exerciles,  make 
fome  impreffion  upon  him.  The 
beft  chriftians  in  the  place  pro- 
jfeffcd  themfelves  made  alhamed 

by 


by  the  fervency  of  this  young  dif- 
ciple!  And  in  days  of  humiliation 
or  thankfgivings,  kept  with  re- 
gard unto  the  general  circum- 
ftances  of  the  country,  he  would 
bear  his  part.,  with  fuch  a  fenfeof 
the  publick  troubles  or  mercies, 
as  argued  more  than  a  common 
meafure  of  a  public  fpirit  in  him. 

The  miniiier  of  the  place,  vif- 
iting  of  him,  after  ficknefs  had 
confined  him,  found  him  in  ex- 
treme dejeclron  of  foul  ;  his  very 
body  Iho.ok,  thro*  his  fear,  kft 
the  day  of  graci;  were  over  with 
him  ;  yet  juitifying  of  God,  tho5 
he  (liould  be  forever  caft  among 
the  damned.  But  yet  his  fears 
were  accompanied  with  hopes  in 
the  all  fuilicient  merits  of  the  blefT- 
ed  Jefus  :  in  which  hopes  he  con- 
tinued ufingall  the  means  of  grace 
according  to  his  capacity,  and 
lamenting  after  thofe  whereof  he 
was  not  capable. 

He  continued  fix  days  with  hi 
L  %  tee* 


teeth  fo  fhut,  as  that  they  could 
not  be  opened  ;  and  for  the  firft 
three  days  and  nights,  he  took  no 
luftenance ;  afterwards,  though 
this  but  feldom,  he  fucked  in  be- 
tween his  teeth,  nothing  but  a  lit- 
tle cold  water  :  In  which  time, 
they  that  laid  their  ears  to  his  lips, 
could  overhear  him  continually 
cxpreffing  his  comfort  in  God6 
But  j'jft  before  his  death,  his  teeth 
•were  opened  ;  when  he  would  of- 
ten {ay,  O!  how  precious  is  the 
blood  of  Chrift,  it  is  worth  more 
than  a  thoufand  worlds  !  and  of- 
ten pray,  come  Lord  Jefus,  come 
quickly!  Andatlaft,  he  gave  up 
himfelf  to  God,  in  tbefe  words, 
Lord  Jefus  receive  my  fpirit.  He 
defired  his  mother  to  turn  his  face 
unto  the  wTall  »  whereupon  fhe 
faid,  John,  doit  thou  now  remem- 
ber Hezekiah's  tinning  his  face 
unto  the  wall  ?  he  faid,  yes,  I  do 
remember  it  :  And  as  fhe  turned 
him  in  her  arms  he  quietly  breath- 


ed  his  foul  into  the   arms  of  his 
bleffed  Saviour. 

[Extracted*  out  of  the  account 
written  and  printed  by  Mr.  -With- 
eril  and  Mr.  Baker,  minifters  of 
Scituate  ;  and  prefaced  by  Mr. 
Urian  Oakes  ;  who  takes  that  oc- 
cafion  to  fay  of  this  John  Clapa 
he  was  a  young  old  man,  full  of 
grace,  though  not  full  of  days.] 

^g&#3RK3^ 

EXAMPLE    II. 

MR.  Thoma^  Thornton,  the 
aged  and  faithful  Paftor  of 
Yarmouth,  was  blefled  with  a 
daughter  named  Prifcilla,  who  at 
the  age  of  eleven,  left  this  world, 
having  firit  given  demonstration^ 
of  an  exemplary  piety. 

She  was  one  remarkably  grave, 
devout,  ferious  j  very  inquiiitive 
about  matters  of  eternity.;  and  in 
her  particular  calling  very  diligent:. 

She 


She  was  nevcrthelefs  troubled  with 
fore  temptation  and  exercifes  a- 
bout  the  ftate  of  her  own  foul  : 
The  anguifh  of  her  fpirit,  about 
her  body  of  death,  caufcd  her  to 
pour  out  many  tears  and  prayers  ; 
and  flic  preffed,  that  fome  other 
pious  children  of  her  acquaintance, 
might  with  her  keep  a  day  of  hu- 
miliation together,  that  (as  (he 
exprefled  it)  they  might  get  pow- 
er againft  their  fin ful  natures. 

But  it  pleafed  God  at  length  to 
blefs  the  words  of  her  godly  moth- 
er, for  the  quieting  of  her  mind. 
It  was  her  fingular  happinefs,  that 
Ihc  had  fuch  godly  parents  5  but  it 
was  her  opjnion  and  cxpreflion, 
\vetruft  too  much  to  the  prayers  of 
our  parents,  whereas  we  Ihould 
yray  far  otiir  (elves. 

At  laft,  flie  fell  mortally  fick. 

In  the  beginning  of  her  ficknefs 

ihe  was  afraid  of  dying  j  for,  faid 

:he,  I  know  of  no  promife  to  en, 

courage 


courage  me.  She  could  not  bu'c 
own  that  fhe  had  in  fomemeafure 
walked  with  God  ;  yet  fhe  com- 
plained, that  fhe*' had  not  found 
God  meeting  her  in  her  prayers, 
and  making  her  heart  willing  to 
be  at  his  difpofal  •  and  that  the 
pride  of  her  heart  now  lay  as  a 
load  upon  it.  She  owned,  that 
fhe  had  many  thoughts  of  Jefus 
Chrift,  and  that  it  grieved  her 
that  fhe  had  finned  againft  him* 
who  had  done  and  died  for  her. 

But  many  days  were  not  paft, 
before  fhe  could  profefs  herielf 
willing  to  die,  with  fome  affurance 
of  her  then  going  to  eternal  bleff- 
ednefs.  Many  thanks  and  loves 
did  fhe  now  render  to  one  of  her 
fuperiors,  declaring,  it  was  be- 
caufe  they  had  curbed  her,  and 
reftrained  her  from  finful  vanities, 
And  fbe  faid,  were  I  now  to  choofe 
my  company,  it  ihould  be  among 
the  people  of  God;  I  fee  plainly 

that     * 


that  they  are  the  only  company^ 
She  was  not  without  her  conflicts 
in  this  time,  wherein  one  of  her 
fpeeches  was,  damnation,  that  is 
the  worft  thing  of  all,  but  Chrift 
is  of  all  the  heft  :  I  find  it  fo  ; 
Chrift  is  to  .me  wifdom,  righte- 
oufr.efs,  fandtification  and  re- 
demption. She  told  her  father 
the  knew  fbe  was  made  up  of  all 
manner  of  fin  ;  but  faid  me,  I 
hope  God  has  humbled  me,  and 
pardoned  me  in  the  merits  of  the 
Lord  Jelus  Chrift.  Unto  her  af- 
fe6tionate  mother  me  laid, mother, 
why  do  you  weep,  when  I  am 
well  in  my  foul  ?  will  you  mourn, 
when  I  am  fo  full  of  joy  ?  I  pray 
rejoice  with  me. 

When  fire  was  extremely  fpent, 
{he  faid  unto  her  parent,  O  my 
father,  I  have  been  much  troub- 
led by  Satan,  but  I  find  Chrift  is 
too  hard  for  him,  and  fin,  and  alL 
She  now  faid,  I  know  now  that  I 

lhall 


ihall  die  j  and  being  afked,  wheth- 
er flie  were  afraid  of  death  ;  with 
a  fweet  fmile  (he  replied,  No 
not  I,  Chrift  is  better  than  life. 
And  fo  (lie  continued  in  a  mod 
joyful  frame,  till  (he  died  :  a 
little  before  which,  it  being  the 
Lord's  day,  (he  aflked,  what  time 
of  the  day  it  was  ?  and  when  they 
had  told  her,  'twas  three  of  the 
clock,  (he  replied,  what  is  the 
Sabbath  almoft  done  ?  Well,  my 
eternal  Sabbath  is  going  to  begin 
wherein  i  (hall  enjoy  all  felicity, 
and  (ing  hallelujahs  to  all  eterni- 
ty. And  hereupon  (he  quickly 
fell  afleep  in  the  Lord. 

EXAMPLE     III. 

MR.  Nathaniel    Mather,  died 
Odober  17,    1688,  at   the 
age  of   nineteen,    an   inftance   of 
more  than  common  learning  and 
virtue.    On  his    grave  ftbne    at- 
Salem  * 


Salem,  there  are  thefe  words  de- 
iervedly  infcribed,  The  ajbcs  of  an 
bard  jludent,  agoodjibolar,  and  a 
great  chrijiian^ 

He  was  one,  who  ufed  an  extra- 
ordinary diligence  to  obtain  ildll 
in  the  feveral  arts  that  make  an 
accomplished  fcholar  ;  but  he  was 
more  diligent  in  his  endeavours 
to  become  an  experienced  chrift- 
ian. 

He  did  with  much  folemnity 
enter  into  covenant  with  God, 
when  he  was  about  fourteen  years 
old.  And  afterwards  he  renewed 
that  folemn  action,  in  fuch  form 
as  this  :  "  I  do  renounce  all  the 
vanities  and  wretched  idols  and 
evil  couries  of  the  world. 

44  I  do  choofe,  and  will  ever 
have,  the  great  God,  for  my  beft 
good,  my  laft  end,  my  only 
Lord.  He  (hall  be  the  only  one, 
in  the  glorifying  and  enjoying  of 
whom 


whom  {hall  be  my  welfare  ;  and 
in  the  ferving  of  whom  fliall  be 
my  work. 

"  I  will  ever  be  rendering  unto 
the  Lord  jefus  Chrift,  my  prop- 
er acknowledgments,  as  unto  my 
prieft,  my  prophet, and  my  king, 
and  the  phyfician  of  my  foul.  I 
will  ever  be  ftudying  what  is  my 
duty  in  thefe  things,  and  wherein 
I  find  myfelf  to  fall  ihort,  I  will 
ever  count  it  my  grief  and  (hame; 
and  betake  myfelf  to  the  blood  of 
the  everlafting  covenant. 

"  Now  humbly  imploring  the 
grace  of  the  mediator  to  be  fuf- 
ficient  for  me,  I  do  as  a  further 
folemnity,  hereunto  fubfcribe  my 
name^  with  both  heart  and  hand." 

leaving  done  this,  he  did  for 
tbe  reft  of  his  life  walk  with 
watchfulnefs  and  exactnefs. 

He  would  keep  whole  days  of 
prayer  and  praiie  by  himfelf  : 
And  he  would  fet  himfelf  to  con- 
M  fider 


_ 

fider  much   on   that   queftion— 
What  (hall  I  do  for  God  ? 

He  was  much  in  meditation, 
and  often  wrote  the  chief  heads 
of  his  meditation.  He  would 
read  the  fcripture,  with  a  note  and 
a  wifh  fetched  out  of  every  verfe : 
And  at  night,  he  would  afk, 

1.  What  has  God's    mercy    to 
rne  been  this  day? 

2.  Whathas  my  carnage  to  God 
been  this  day  ? 

3.  If  I  die  {his  night,  is  my  im- 
fnortal  fpirit  fate  ? 

Many  more  fuch  imitable  things 
are  in  the  hiftory  of  his  life  (di- 
vers times  printed  at  London)  re- 
ported of  him. 

EXAMPLE     IV. 

ANN  Grccnousrh,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  William  Green- 
ough,  left   the  world,  when  (he 

was 


'59 

but  about  five  years  old,  and 
yet  gave  aftoniihing  difcoveries 
of  a  regard  unto  God  and  Chrift> 
,and  her  own  foul,  betore  Hie  went 
awray.  When  (lie heard  any  thing, 
about  the  Lord  Jefus  Chrifc,  fne 
would  be  ftrangcly  Irani  ported, 
and  ravifhed  in  her  fpirit  at  it  ; 
and  had  an  unfpcakable  delight 
in  catechifing.  She  would  put 
ilrange  queihons  'about  eternal 
things,  and  make  anfwers  herfelf 
that  were  extremely  pertinent. 
Once,  particularly,  fhe  aikcd,  are 
not  we  dead  in  fin  ?  and  prefently 
added,  but  I  will  take  this  away, 
the  Lord  Jefus  Chrift  (hall,  make 
me  alive.  She  was  very  frequent 
and  conftant  in  iecfet  prayer,  and 
could  not  with  any  patience  be 
interrupted  in  it.  She  told  her 
gracious  mother,  that  ihe  there 
prayed  for  her  !  and  was  covetous 
of  being  with  her  mother,  when 
flie  imagined  ftich  duties  to  be 


i6o 

going  forward.  When  fhe  fell 
fick  at  laft  of  a  consumption,  fhe 
would  not  by  any  fports  be  divert- 
ed from  the  thoughts  of  death, 
wherein  ihe  took  fuch  pleafure, 
that  fhe  did  not  care  to  hear  of  a- 
ny  thing  elfe.  And  it  fhe  were 
alked,  whether  ilie  were  willing 
to  die  ?  fhe  would  carefully  re- 
ply, ah,  by  all  means,  that  I  may 
go  to  the  Lord  Jefus  Chrift. 


EXAMPLE    V. 

AT   Bofton,    1  3d.   3m,    1694, 
there  died  one  Daniel  Wil- 
liams, in.the  i8th  year  of  his  age. 
There  was  a  collection  made  of 
fome  of  his  dying  fpeeches. 

Being  afked,  whether  he  loved 
God  ?  he  replied,  Yes,  I  love  him 
dearly  ;  for  Lord,  whom  have  I 
in  Heaven  but  thce  ? 

He 


ifil 

He  was  much  concerned  for 
poor  perifhing  Ibuls.  He  would 
fay,  Oh,  that  I  had  but  flrength, 
how  would  I  pray  and  figh,  and 
cry  to  God,  for  the  poor  world, 
that  lives  in  fin  and  pride  ! 

On  the  day  of  his  death,  being 
full  of  pain  ,  he  fa  id,  Jefus  Chriit 
bore  more  than  this,  and  he  died 
for  me  ;  and  (hall  I  be  afraid  to 
die,  and  go  to  him  ? 

Then  faid  he,  O  death,  where 
is  thy  fting  ?  O  grave,  where  is. 
thy  victory  ? 


EXAMPLE  VI. 
Early  piety  exemplified  in  Eliza- 
beth Butcher.  SECTION   I. 

Containing  ,-/  brief  account  of  her, 
from  her  birth  in  Jiffy  1709,  to* 
her   fir  ft    remarkable  "  illnejs   in 
September*  1716. 
it1  LIZ  A  BETH       Butcher, 
JLf    daughter  of  Alvin   and 
Elizabeth  Butcher  of  Boiton,  was 

M    2 


born  July  I4th,  1709.  Her  par- 
ents gave  her  up  to  God  from  the 
womb,  and  as  foon  as  (he  was 
capable  of  fpeaking,  they  began 
to  inilrud:  her  in  the  things  of 
God. 

2.  When  flie  was  about  two 
years  and  an  half  old  ;  as  fhe  lay 
in  her  cradle,  fhe  would  afk  her- 
felf  that   queftion,  what   is   my 
corrupt  nature  ?  and  would  make 
anf  wer  again  to  herfelf,it  is  empty 
of  grace,  bent  upon  (in,  and  only 
to  fin,  and  that  continually.    She 
f.eok  great  delight  in  learning  her 
catechifm,   and   would  not  wil- 
lingly go  to  bed  without  faying 
fome  part  of  it. 

3.  She  being  a  weakly  child, 
,  her  mother  carried   her  into  the 
"country   for  health:  And   when 

flie  was  about  three  years  old,  and 
at  meeting,  fhe  would  let  with 
her  eyes  fixed  on  the  minifter,  to 
the  admiration  of  all  that  fat  a- 

bout 


163 

bout  her,  whofaid  that  grown  up 
people  might  learn  and  take  ex- 
aSnple  of  her.  She  took  great 
deligl-f:  in  reading,  and  was  rea- 
dy ana  willing  to  receive  inftruc- 
tion. 

4.  But  nothing  more  extraor- 
dinary as  we  remember  appeared 
in  her,  till   (lie  came  to  be  about 
fix  years  old.     Then  fhe   began 
to  enquire  concerning  God,  and 
the  nature  and  affairs  of  her  foul, 
and  fhe  faid,   (he  was  afraid  fhe 
had  not  lived  up  to  that  end  for 
which  fhe  was  made.     She  was 
afked  what  was  the  end  Hie  was 
made  for  ?  The  child  anfwere-i — 
to  glorify  God  :    But  I  am  afraid 
I  have  not  lived  to  the  glory  of 
God  as  I  mould  have  done.     She 
was  told  that  (lie  muft  pray  to 
God  that  he  would  pleafe  to  par- 
don her  fins,  and  give  her  grace 
to  ierve  and  glorify  him. 

5.  She  was  not  contented  with 


164. 

the  bare  reading  of  God's  word, 
but  would  frequently  a(k  the  mea- 
ning of  it.  And  when  ihe  was 
at  her  work,  ihe  would  often  aik 
where  fuch  and  fuch  places  of 
fcripture  were,  and  would  men- 
tion the  words  that  (lie  might  be 
directed  to  find  them. 

6.  It  was  her  practice  to  carry 
her  catechifm  or  forne  other  good 
book  to  bed  with  her,  and  in  the 
morning  (he  would  be  fitting  up  . 
in  her  bed,   reading  before  any  of 
the   family  Were  awake   beiides 
her. 

7.  One  day  as  me  was  lifting 
by  the  fire,  aiked — Why  our  firft 
parents  eating  the  forbidden  fruit1 
was  counted  fin  to  them  ?  At  an- 
other time  flie  afked,   who  were 
meant     by  the   wife  and  foolilh 
virgins  ?    And  what  was  meant 
by  the  oil  in  the  lamps  ?    A    Ihe 
was  reading  a  fermon  of  Dr.    Cot- 

on  Mather's  ihe  aiked  who  was 

meant 


meant  by  the  goodly  cedar  ?  And 
when  Ihe  was  told,  fhefaid,  -- 
and  vrho  are  meant  by  the  fpwls 
that  are  juft  pledged  ?  fhe  was 
told  they  meant  little  children; 
and  Chrifl  called  them  to  come 
to  him.  But,  faid  flie,  how  can 
I  v\hoam  but  a  child  go  to  Chrifl? 
being  informed,  (he  faid,  —  But 
will  Chrifl  accept  of  me  ?  fhe 
was  anfwered  yes,  and  feveral 
places  of  fcripture  were  mention- 
ed for  her  encouragement. 


SECTION    II. 

Containing  a  fhort  account  of  her 
in  her  Jirfl  illnefs  from  Sept. 
1716.  to  Feb.  1717-18. 

I.  TN  September  1716,  ihe  was 

JL  taken  ill,  and   in   her  fick- 

nels  behaved  herfelf    with  fuch 

wonderful  patience    as  all  that 

came 


came  near  admired.  She  would 
often  put  up  that  reqneft,  heaven- 
ly father,  give  me  thy  Chrift, 
give  me  thy  grace,  and  pardoa 
all  my  fins,  for  Jems  Chrift  s 
fake,  Amen.  Then  me  laid, 
V/hat  is  fandtification  ?  and  made 
anfvver  to  herfelf ;  it  is  the  work 
of  God's  free  grace.  What  are  the 
Benefits  which  in  this  life  do  ac- 
company or  flow  from  juftifica- 
tion,  adoption  and  fandlincation  ? 
they  are  afllirance  of  God's  love, 
peace  of  con(cience,  joy  in  the  ho- 
ly ghoft,  ijicreafe  of  grace,  and 
perfeverance  therein  to  the  end. 

2.  Being  afked,  if  me  was  wil- 
ling: to  die,  and  go  to  Chrift  ;  (he 
faid,  yes  :  But  child  you  fend  for 
Mr.  Sewall  to  talk  with  him,  and 
hear  what  he  had  to  fay  to  her  ? 
the  child  anfwercd,  Mr.  Sewall 
may  give  me  encouragement  as 
you  do.  But  except  God  f peaks 
to  me  too,  all  will  fignify  nothing. 

Well 


Well  child,  fiiid  her  mother,  wait 
upon  God  ftill,  who  will  in  his 
own  time  I  hope  fpeak  peace  to 
my  foul.  Mr.  Sewall  was  lent 
for,  but  he  was  not  at  home. 

8.  She  was  told  for  her  en- 
couragement, that  fhe  was  a  lamb 
of  Chrift's  flock  ;  and  that  he  haci 
faid,  he  would  take  the  lambs  in 
his  arms,  and  carry  them  in  his 
bofom  j  and  fuffer  little  children 
to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them 
not,  for  of  fuch  is  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  ;  and  you  know  that 
promife  in  Pr'ov.  8.  17.  I  love 
them  that  love  me,  and  thofe  that 
feek  me  early  (hall  find  me.  The 
child  anfvvered  ;  if  the  Lord  will 
pleafe  to  help  me,  I  will  feek  him. 
She  was  told  that  the  Lord  would 
help  her,  and  was  exhorted  to 
trull  in  the  free  grace  and  mercy 
of  God  through  thrift.  Oh  faid 
the  child  :  1  am  willing  to  accept 
of  Chrift,  but  1  am  afraid  Chnft 

is 


is  not  willing  :  Anfwer  was  made- 
that  if  fhe  was  willing  to  accept 
of  Chrift,  that  to  be  fure  Chrift 
was  willing  to  accept  of  her  :  She 
anfwered,  I  am  willing. 

9.  Awhile    after    fhe  faid ;  I 
will  venture  my  foul  upon  Chrift, 
and  if  I  perifh,    Lord,  it  fhall  be 
at  the  fountain  of  thy  mercy :  For 
thou  haft  promifed,  that  whofo- 
ever  cometh  unto  thee,  thou  wilt 
in  no  wife  caft  out ;  O  Lord,  I  de- 
fire  as  I  am  able,  to  come   unto 
thee,  to  come  unto  thee,  and  1  am 
fure  thou  wilt  not  caft  me  off. 
And  fhe  was  compofed  for  fome 
time  :  But   fatan   aflaulted  her  a- 
gain  in  fitting  her  fins  before  her  ; 
and  flie  cried  out,  Oh  the  fin  of 
my  nature,    (unlefs  my  foul  be 
fprinkled     with     the     blood    of 
Chrift,)  is  enough   to  undo  me, 
were  I  guilty  of  no  other. 

10.  About  a  month  before  her 
death,  on  the  Sabbath  in  the  after- 
noon 


noon,  flic  faid  toher  mother, now 
Phave  a  believing  fight  of  Chrift  : 
now  Chrift  ismine,  and  I  am  his  : 
Oh,  how  fweet  is  Chrift  :  Oh  he 
is  fweer,  he  is  fweet  !  and  if  you 
did  but  tafte  and  feel  what  I  do, 
you  would  long  to  be  gone.  Then 
ihe  faid  ;  come  Lord  Jefus,  come 
quickly  ;  Dear  Jefus,  fweet  Jefus, 
come  quickly,  then  fhe  faid  : 
Lord  Jefus  give  me  patience, 
give  me  patience  to  wait  thy 
time,  for  thy  time  is  the  beft  time  : 
Lord  Jefus  give  me  patience. 

II.  Her  mother  fat  weeping 
by  her,  and  to  comfort  her,  the 
child  faid,  dear  mother,  though  we 
part  now,  it  will  be  but  a  little 
while  before  you  will  follow  and 
come  to  me  :  And  that  will  be  a 
happy  meeting  for  us,  to  meet  at 
the  right  hand  of  Chrifl:  in  the 
great  day.  Then  fhe  thanked  her 
mother  for  the  inftructions  and 
corrections  (lie  had  given  her, 
N  j 


•  170 

and  (aid,  had  it  not  been  For  them 
I  might  have  gone  to  hell  ;  but  it 
won't  be  long  now  before  the 
bleffed  angels  will  come  and  carry 
rhy  foul  to  the  bofom  of  Chrift  ; 
Oh  I  long  to  begone  to  that  bleiT- 
ed  place  :  fweet  Lord  Jefus,  come 
quickly. 

12.  A  while  after  Hie  (aid  my 
pain   is  great  which  I  undergo  to 
go  to  Chrift  ;  but  not  fo   great  as 
the   pains  Chrift   underwent  for 
me  ;   Oh  I    wonder,    that  Chrift 
fhould  be  fo  willing  to  die  for  me, 
who  am  fo  great  a  (inner. 

13.  Mr.   Sewall  was    fent  for 
again  :   but  before   he  came   the 
child  was  fo   fpent  with  extreme 
pain  and  much  fpcakirig,  that  flic 
was  not  able  to  fay  any  thing  to 
him.    In  the  night  fne  afked  the 
young  woman  that  watched  with 
her,  to  read  the  25th  of  Matthew 
to  her. 

14.  One  morning  fhe  afkcd  ; 

where 


1ZL 

vvhere  is  that  place  of  fcripture  ? 
eat  O  friends,  drink,  yea  drink 
abundantly,  O  beloved.  The  glafs 
itanding  on  the  table,  flic  aikcd 
to  have  it  turned,  and  faid  ;  my 
glafs  is  almoft  run,  my  work  is 
almoft  ended. 

15.  Oil  Thurfday     was    three 
weeka  before  her  death,  her  moth- 
er feeing  an  alteration  in  her,  faid, 
my  child   is  flruck   with   death. 
Upon  which  (lie  replied,  Is  death 
come,  and  am  I   prepared,   am  I 
prepared  ?  She  lay  ftill  fome  time, 
and  then  faid,  O  death  where  is 
thy  fting  :  O  grave  where  is  thy 
victory,  and  what  wilt  thoti  gain 
by  this  thing  ? 

16.  There  was  a  perfon  (lie  had 
a  peculiar  refpedt  for,  and  defired 
her  mother  when  fhe  had  oppor- 
tunity, to  fpeak  to  her  ;    for  Ihe 
\vas  afraid    (lie   did  not  coniider 
her  foul  and  eternity. 


ZZi 

37.  The  Lord's  day  foUowinp; 
•Ihe  laid  over  the  2jd  Pfalm,  arid 
when  (he  had  concluded  it,  her 
mother  afkecl  her  ;  it  (he  was  not 
afraid  to  pals  through  the  dark 
valley  of  the  fliado-w  of  death  ? 
ihe  an  (we  red  ;  no,  for  God  hath 
promifed  that  he  will  never  leave 
me  nor  for  fake  me,  neither  wit! 
he  fufTer  me  to  leave  or  forfake 
him. 

1 8.  She  lying  in  great  pain  day 
and  night,  would  often  fay.  Lord 
Jeiiis  give  me  patience,  that  1  may 
not  diihonour  God.  She  faid,  Oh 
if  I  Ihouid  be  deceived  at  latt,  aiu! 
deceive  others,  and  they   think  1 
am  good,  O  how  miferable   ih all 
I  be  forever  ? 

19.  Her  aunt  Stone  being  pref- 
ent.,  and  the  child  being   in  great 
pain,  and    complaining   of  thofe 
about  her,  for  refufingtodo  fome- 
-thing  for  her,  which  {'he  found  re- 
iicvcd  her,  but  they  were   fearful 

of 


of  overdoing,  fhe  faid, — They  dc 
riot  pity  me,  but  I  hope  Chrift 
pities  me,  and  will  prepare  a  place 
for  me.  A  little  while  after,  be- 
ing reftlefs  with  her  pains,  fhe 
checked  herfelf,  faying, — Why 
do  I  complain  ?  Chrift  tndurt'4 
more  than  this  for  me  :  I  wonder 
how  he  did  to  bear  it.  And  a 
little  while  after,  hearing  it  thun- 
der ;  'ihe  faid,  It  thunders,  I  am 
afraid  God  will  kill  me  with  it  ; 
but  whether  he  kills  me  with  that, 
or  with  this  pain,  if  1  may  but  go 
to  Chrift,  it  will  be  well. 

20.  The  Tuefday  following 
Mr.  Sewall  came  to  fee  her,  and 
after  fome  diicourfe,  he  afked  her 
on  what  fhe  depended  for  falva- 
tion  ?  ihe  replied,  on  Chrift,  and 
the  promiies.  He  laid,  well 
Child,  hold  fa  ft  thy  faith,  and 
frill  truft  in  Chriii.  Then  ihe 
laid,  Oh'  f  long  to  go  to  that  bleff- 
ed  place,  He  aiked  her  what 
N  2  bl'.-ficd 


(•fed  pl.iLe  ?  (he  notreadiJy  s;% 
iwering,  he  laid,  do  you  mean 
heaven  ?  (he  anfwered,  yes  :  And 
when  he  was  going  away,  de fired 
him  to  remember  her  in  his  Pray- 
crs  :  And  afked  him  ° when  we 
would  come  again  to  Tee  her  ? 

21.  .Two  perfbns   being  in  the 
room,  they  laid  to  one   another  ; 
this  child  has  been  a  child  of  af- 
fliction all   its   days.      The  child 
replied  ;  and  it  is  for  my  good. 

22.  She    had    another  combat 
with  Satan,  and    (kid,    he   would 
perfua.de      her     that    Chirft   was 
withdrawn   from   her   ;     and  fhe 
cried  out,  Oh  what  (hall  I  do,  Oh 
what  iliall  I  do  ?  I  ara   undone    I 
(lie  laid,  O  Lord,  caft  me  not  out 
of  thy  fight  :  caft  me   not   away 
from  thy  pretence,  and  take  not 

holy  ipirit  from  me  :  Reftore 
unto  me  they  joy  of  thy  ialva- 
tion,  and  uphold  me  with  thy  free 
Spirit  ;  never  leave  me*nor  for(ake 

me   : 


rne  :  But  guide  me  by  thy  Coun- 
fcl  while  here,  and  afterwards  re- 
ceive me  to  thine  heavenly  king- 
dom :  And  this  I  alk  for  thy  fon 
Jdus  ChrifVs  fake  ;  and  in  tefli- 
mony  of  my  defires  and  allurancc 
to  he  ru-ard,  I  lay,  Amen. 

23.  She  was   comforted  again 
in  the  night -5   And    the   watcher 
fitting  by  herbedflde,  about  mid- 
n  i g I u ,  heard  her  lay , 

Yonder,  Yonder,  up  above, 
Sits  my  faviour,  cloathM   in  love, 
And  there's  my  1  mil  ing  God. 

24.  She  laid,  (he  had  ibm^thing 
to  lay  to  Mr.  Sewali  the  next  time 
he  ihould  conic  to  fee    iier  :  and 
being  a  Iked  what  it  was,  fhefiid, 
(he  would  thar.k  him  for  the  ma- 
ny prayers  he  put  up  for  her,  for 
God    had     heard   and   anfwered 
them. 

25.  At  another  time   fhe  Taid 
concerning  Chrift  ;    why   is  his 
Chariot  fp  long  ^  coming  ?  Why 

ftay 


ftay  fo  long  the  wheels  of  his 
chariot  ?  for  me  to  ft  ay  is  pain  .$ 
but  to  die  is  gain. 

26.  Mr.  Prince  coming  to   fee 
her  the  Monday  before  her  death, 
ihe  defircd  him  to  pray  with  her. 
He  laid,  well,  and  what  (hall  ws 
pray  for  now  ?  fhe  replied,  that   I 
xtiay  have  a  faying  knowledge  of 
Chrift,  that  God  would    pleafe  to 
jpardon  all  my  fins,    and   prepare 
me  for  death  my   great  and  laft 
change. 

27.  The   day  following,  her 
pains  abated,  and  flic   itemed    to 
be  better  for  2  or  3  days  ;  and  no 
one  perceived  her   to    draw   near 
her  change,  till  a  few  minutes  fee- 
fore  (lie  was  taken  fpcechlcfs,  the 
child    laid,    fomething     clicuiked 
her :  Her  mother  felt  of  her  hands, 
and  finding  them  in  a  cold  fwtat, 
and   her    countenance    alter,   fhe 
laid,  my  child   is     ngoing   :    Ah 
mother,  faid  the   child,  ib  mufl 

you 


*77 

you  as  well  as  I.     She  faid  feme- 
thing  more  ;  but  her  fpcech   and  . 
fpirits  failing,  we  could  not   un- 
derftahd  her. 

She  breathed  her  foul  into   the 

.arms  of  Chrift   on   Friday,    the 

1  3th  of  June,    1718,    being  eight 

*years  and  juit  eleven  months  old. 


E    X    A    M    P  -L    E       X. 

;.  RS.  Abiel    Goodwin,  who 

t    Bofton,  O<aober3, 

ye;irof  her  Age. 

•  —  Hci    !  la    very  young 

mim,  lu»,.  •,      u  uncommon    and 

jnous  a  manner,  that  an    ac- 

count is  already  published  of  it  in 

Dr.  Cotton  Mather's  GtdefVinus. 

She  was  born  alter   the   death   of 

her  father,  and  for  that  catife    the 

name  of  Abiel  (or,  God  my  fatli- 

-er)  was  given  her* 

This 


This  young  perfon  was  one, 
xvho  began  betimes  to  take  the 
.yoke  of  her  Saviour  upon  her  ; 
yea,  fb  much  betimes,  and  with 
iuch  gracious  dauns  of  piety,  that 
fhe  knew  not  the  time  of  her  firil" 
coming  into  the  life  of  God. 
And  God  forbid,  that  we  fhould 
rafhly  pals  the  doom  of  the  un- 
regenerate  on  all  who  are,  and  ve- 
ry many  of  the  newborn,  we 
hope,  are  fb  circurnftanced/ 

Under  the  influences  of  a  pious 
education,  me  was  from  her  child- 
hood ufed  unto  the  religion  of  the 
clofet  ;  and  afraid  of  doing  any 
thing  that  the  light  of  God  in  her 
young  foul  allowed  not  :  And 
courteous,  affable  and  full  of  be- 
nignity, ready  to  do  good  offices 
for  all  about  her  :  Accompanied 
and  advantaged  with  a  discretion 
\vhich  was  an  agreeable  varnifti 
upon  all. 

Her 


Her  attendance  dn  the  means  of 
grace  was  very  diligent :  Wherein, 
among  the  reft,  fhe  conftantly  at- 
tended the  weekly  leftures  ;  and 
lamented  the  fcandal  of  it,  that 
tho'fe  precious  opportunities  were 
fo  fhame  fully  neglected  in  a  city, 
where  a  worldly  mind  fo  evident- 
ly governed  the  inhabitants. 

Her  illnels  began  upon  her, 
when  fhe  was  little  more  than  fix- 
teen  years  of  age,  and  fhe  was 
confined  uhto  the  houfe  for  two 
years  before  (he  died.  Hereby 
"flie  was  prevented  from  the  exe- 
cution of  a  purpofe,  that  heryoung 
heart  was  earneftly  fet  upon! 
Which  Was  to  have  approached 
the  holy  table  in  the  way  of  the 
gofpel  and  of  our  churches,  and 
Ivave  made  her. claim  to  the,  facri- 
fice  of  her  faviour,  and  fet  her 
feal  to  the  covenant  of  falvation, 
according  to  his  inftruction  there* 
She  greatly  lamented  it,  that  tho* 

ihe 


i8o 

file  were  fo  very  young  fhe  had 
not  publicly  done  what  fhe  had 
propofed,  of  giving  herielf  up  un- 
to the  Lord  among  his  people  ! 
but  flie  faid,  I  have  done  it  fccret- 
ly  a  thoufand  times ;  and  the  Lord 
hath  accepted  my  willing  mind  : 
and  what  fault  there  might  be  in 
rny  delay,  he  has  allured  me,  that 
he  has  pardoned  it.  But  how  ear- 
neftly  did  (lie  urge  upon  her  young 
friends,  the  ferious  and  fpeedy 
difcharge  of  their  plain  duty  to  do 
this  ;  the  omiflion  whereof  does 
forever,  where  the  confcience  is 
not  feared,  make  an  uneafy  death 
bed. 

At  length  fhe  became  confined 
unto  the  bed,  for  eighteen  weeks 
together,  at  her  entrance  whereof 
fhe  expofed  a  ftrong  belief,  that 
fhe  fhould  find  extraordinary  fup- 
ports  provided  for  her.  And  flie 

pnd  them;   found  them  ro  afton- 


She  was  now  fallen  into  an  hy- 
dropfical  condition.  In  this  time, 
though  many  wearifome  nights 
were  appointed  for  her,  yet  flie 
poffefled  not  months  of  vanity. 
But  flie  did  good  all  the  while, 
and  brought  much  of  tbe  fruit,  by 
which  her  heavenly  father  has 
been  and  will  be  glorified. 

In  this  time,  as  it  fometimes  is 
with  fouls  that  are  getting  loofe 
from  flefh,  and  gotten  very  far  on 
towards  the  invifible  world,  (he 
had  fome  unaccountable  impreff- 
ions  upon  her  mind,  relating  to 
things  not  commonly  coming  un- 
der human  cognizance.  There 
were  furprizing  inftances,  not  fo 
proper  to  be  now  and  here  fpoken 
of.  But  there  is  one  I  would 
fpeak  of,  becaufe  it  may  be  a  little 
iubfervient  unto  the  main  defign 
which  I  am  now  to  profecute. 

In  her  inclination  of  it  upon 
young  people,  that  they   would 
immediately 


immediately  come  under  the  yoke 
of  their  faviour,  and  fo  be  prepar- 
ed for  a  death,  which  they  knew 
not  how  fuddenly  it  might  over- 
take them  :  She  faid.  mind  what 
I  fay  ;  you  (hall  fee  fudden  deaths, 
quickly  multiplied  among  you  ; 
and  young  as  well  as  old  fhall  be 
reached  with  them.  It  was  not 
long,  but  a  very  few  weeks  after 
this  prediction, before  fhe  was  able 
to  obferve  ;  well,  there  have  been 
14  fudden  deaths,  which  you  have 
feen  difpenfed  fince  my  fpeaking 
to  you,  but  I  am  to  tell  you,  there 
will  be  many  more  than  thefe. 

But  from  this,  I  cannot  but  go 
on,  to  take  notice  of  the  profped: 
that  her  faviour  gave  her  or  the 
heaven,  that  fhe  now  faw  open  to 
receive  her ;  and  the  heavenly 
peace  and  joy,  which  the  bright 
profpedl  filled  her  withal. 

It  was  unfpeakably  edifyng  un- 
to us,  to  fee  fo  young  a  perfon, 

one 


one  of  nineteen,  fo  rejoicing^  in 
hope  of  the  glory  of  God  :  Yea, 
rejoicing  with  a  joy  unfpeakable 
and  full  of  glory. 

In  this  time,  when  one,  to  treat 
her  with  a  term  fuiting  her  inge- 
nuity, told  her,  that  confidering 
the  nature  of  her  malady,  her  con- 
dition might  he  called,  a  going  to 
heaven  by  water  :  Ancl  that  anon 
fhe  would  be  able  to  fing  unto 
her  faviour,  that  fong  of  the  re- 
deemed ;  He  fent  from  above,  he 
took  me,  he  drew  me  out  of  many 
waters.  Her  anfwerwas,  water, 
yea,  and  if  I  mould  go  to  heaven 
by  fire  too,  I  am  fure,  heaven 
would  compenfate  for  all  the  trou- 
ble of  it.  O  lovely,  lovely,  love- 
ly, to  be  there  :  How  do  I  long 
to  be  there.  Then  fhe  would 
break  out,  O  that  I  had  the  wings 
of  a  dove  ;  then  would  I  fly  away 
unto  him  and  be  at  reft.  And  a- 
gain,  O  why  is  his  chariot  fo 

long 


184 

long  acoming  ?  Why  tarry  the 
wheels  of  his  chariot  ?  but  fhe 
corrected  it,  I  will  wait,  for  he 
that  will  come,  (hall  corne,  and 
will  not  tarry. 

And,  O  what  fhall  I  find  in 
mount  Zion,  the  city  of  the  living 
God,  the  heavenly  Jerufalem. 

She  faid,  upon  her  being  afked 
her  choice  in  the  matter  of  dying ; 
I  had  rather  die,  were  it  the  will 
of  God,  if  it  were  for  nothing  but 
this  ;  if  1  live  I  (hall  fin  :  You 
know  now  tis  natural  to  fin  ;  and 
I  had  rather  die  than  fin.  But  if 
it  be  the  will  of  God  that  I  fliould 
live,  I  am  willing  to  live  and  fuf- 
fer  any  thing  that  he  fhall  pleafe 
to  order  for  me.  "Tvvil!  be  no- 
thing to  what  my  faviour  fuffered 
for  me  the  chief  of  finners. 

She  often  fell  into  fits,  was 
attended  with  an  extremity  of 
pains  :  But  at  her  firft  coming  out 
of  them,  her  firft  words  were  ufu- 

allv 


_ 

ally  fuch  as  one  might  have  expect- 
ed from  one  that  had  been  caught 
up  to  Paradife.  They  were,  hal- 
lelujah ;  Oh  !  falvation  to  our 
-God,  who  fitteth  on  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  lamb.  O  bleffing 
and  glory  and  honour  be  unto  our 
God  for  ever  and  ever  !  — She 
faid,  O  welcome  fits,  O  welcome 
pains,  O  welcome  any  thing  that 
will  bring  me  nearer  to  Chrift  ! 
fhe  faid,  well,  the  more  I  bear, 
the  more  I  love  !  the  more  I  ftif- 
fer  from  the  wife  and  good  hand 
of  my  faviour,  the  more  I  love 
him. 

Once  a  temptation  affaulted  her, 
that  a  devil  would  make  a  prey  of 
her  departing  foul.  But  pie  foon 
anfwered  it,  and  vanquifhed  it, 
and  faid,  No,  No,  my  Saviour 
will  not  let  Satan  pluck  me  out  of 
his  powerful  and  merciful  hand. 

Satan.. 


i86 

Satan,  when  rny  hour  comes,  my 
flight  will  be  too  nimble  for  thee. 

But  I  muft  now  own  ;  That 
though  her  hope  in  her  death, 
was  what  appeared  very  amiable 
to  me  and  very  dele&able,  yet 
there  was  one  thing  that  appear- 
ed much  more  fo  ;  and  this  was, 
her  being  willing  to  live. 

Though  (he  fo  wifhed  for  death 
and  had  fuch  affurance  that  the 
hour  of  her  death  would  be  the 
beft  hour  that  ever  (lie  faw  ;  and 
though  the  diftemper  which  cru- 
ciated  her,  had  very  much  dolour 
and  anguifh  in  it,  and  as  by 
her  expiration,  fhe  was  affuredof 
the  Lord  fending  to  take  her  and 
draw  her  out  of  deadly  waters  : 
Yet  with  a  moft  profound  fub- 
miffion,  fhe  was  willing  to  wait 
God's  time  for  the  deliverance. 
A  little  before  fhe  died,  being  afk- 
ed,  whether  her  comfort  continu- 
ed ?  She  faid  yes,  Oh,  more  than 

ever. 


f 

*  e 


ever.  But  I  am  fo  weak  that  I 
cannot  exprefs  the  joy  I  feel.  I 
long  more  than  ever  to  be  gone. 
You  may  now  look  for  my  death 
every  minute.  Some  of  her  laft 
words  were,  I  have  now  finifhed 
the  work  that  my  God  has  order- 
ed for  me.  So  (he  kept  waiting 
for  the  mercy  ftroke  which  anon 
releafed  her. 

FINIS. 


